Punctual
by TheWindAlchemist
Summary: You know, he began, Why don't you write me a paragraph describing how my kiss felt on your lips. DeiHina
1. Chapter 1

He kept stealing glances at her during their last class. It was the end of another school day and the students were restless, waiting for that last bell to interrupt his lecture on the structure of a sentence. He had to admit, he was beginning to get bored himself, and he, too, wished for the bell to save them all from falling asleep.

He was the teacher.

His name is Deidara.

She kept fidgeting in her seat during class. Under his gaze, she was unable to focus on her work. The others were waiting for the bell to end, for the lecture to stop. She was waiting for the right time to talk to _him_; after class. She was bored of his lecture. She wanted to hear what he _really_ had to say. To her.

She was a student.

Her name is Hinata.

The bell finally rang, and both the teacher, Deidara, and the students sighed with relief.

"Alright, everyone. I'm too tired to give homework right now -yawn- so just review the chapter or something tonight." He took one more longer glance at Hinata, silently calling her to his desk. As the other students filed out of the room, she walked up to his desk, taking a chair and sitting across from him.

There was a pause, and then Deidara took a paper from a pile of documents and read it over approvingly. "This is a wonderful paper." he began, smiling when she flushed with a sort of pride in herself. "The topic was one that called for honesty, and you answered beautifully. Those other slackers just but stuff like _family_, or _friends_, or _my cat_. You told me things I know you wouldn't tell anybody else. Thank you." Hinata hooked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I-It was nothing, really..." she replied meekly. "Hardly! This is three pages of pure... pure, uh... pure _perspective_. I remember dearly what i went through in High School. Harsh times, i know, but it made me who I am today." He paused, realizing that he was babbling to her again. "You do outstanding work. I look forward to your every assignment." he smiled and handed her the essay.

Hinata read over it, smiling a little. She was embarrassed with what she wrote, but glad that she did. They were silent for a few minutes. "I'd like to talk with you more today, but I don't want to get in the way of your schedule." Deidara said. "O-Oh, no! I haven't joined any clubs or anything, so it's totally fine! I-I-I'd love to talk!" Hinata stammered. It was after school anyway, so what did she have to lose?

The two did talk then, unaware of the large amount of time passing by. The sun had begun to set, and it was a call from a fellow teacher, Sasori, who reminded them of the time.

"Well, you remember that the school has a top-notch security system, right? And that after 8 it completely locks down, preventing entry and escape?" Deidara looked at the clock. 7:55. They had five minutes to run down the hall, down four flights of stairs, lock the doors behind them and run out into the courtyard. He looked at Hinata, and heard the tick of the clock turn 7:56. Four minutes.

"I hope you don't mind staying here the night, Hinata." He walked out of the classroom and to a window looking to the front gate. They stared at it until the school shut itself down and trapped them for the night. Deidara called her back to the room and gathered his things, telling her to do the same. "We can sleep in the infirmary. It's not comfortable, but it's just for a night." Hinata hurriedly followed him, silently flushed at the amount of time they spent talking. Where had the time gone? It seemed only a minute ago they were looking over her essay.

When they arrived at the nurse's office, they found no blankets or pillows on the bare beds of the infirmary. The staff had cleaned it all up before they left, and now the comfortable pillows and warm blankets were kept behind a securely locked door of a closet. "Oh. How unlucky, huh, Hinata?" he chuckled lightly, and she nodded, crestfallen. There was supposed to be a test tomorrow - and she was to get her supposed well rest _here?_

Hinata watched as Deidara made himself comfortable on one of the beds. Hinata did the same; or, tried. No matter what position she got in, she couldn't get comfortable. It didn't help either of them that the beds were squeaky and annoying. "Well, I suppose we shouldn't have expected luxury sheets here, right?" Deidara said to brighten the mood. "Hehe..." Hinata laughed lightly, deciding to just lay still until she fell asleep. The room was extremely silent for a while, almost to the point of discomfort. Then she heard the annoying squeak of the other bed; Deidara sat up.

"Are you awake, Hinata?" He asked softly, just over a whisper. Hinata took a breath to answer, but didn't. Maybe he'd just go back to sleep.

The annoying squeaking resumed breifly, and then silence again. She relaxed a bit, thinking he really had gone back to bed. But instead, he felt a bit of pressure on either side of her head on the bed. Was he leaning over her? His hand traced her head, face, hair brushing away from her face. "I guess not." he murmured. She hoped he hadn't noticed her heart beating miles a minute. Or the blush she felt covering her cheeks. Or her hands clutch the sheets in odd excitement.

He didn't, but in turn he softly pressed his lips to hers.

-:-

The next day, same time, same class, almost the same lecture, she found him sneaking longer glances at her over his book. She stared back, hoping she looked clueless to what he did last night.

Her first kiss.

Did he steal it? Or did he give it? Hinata found herself wondering this throughout the day, and it distracted her from her schoolwork. From her friends. From her life in general, actually. She wasn't saying, exactly, that she didn't like the kiss. Deidara - her teacher - was in fact a great kisser. His lips were soft, warm, gentle, and loving. A complete pleasure to the lips. She found herself craving more. Same position, only this time he'd know she was awake. He'd know that she wanted his lips forever connected to hers.

"Hinata, will you please open your book to page 30 like everyone else did fifteen minutes ago? I believe I've let you daydream enough." His smooth voice teased from across the room. "Oh, and please hand in that essay I assigned like... Ah-da-da-da... A week ago." Hinata jumped, blushed, and scrambled to grab her book. She paused, however, and thought for a moment. She took her pen and on another piece of blank paper, she wrote at the top,

_You kissed me last night._

then went up to his desk and gently placed it over his book, her homework under it. He looked up to her and smirked a bit. "Hinata, for passing notes, you will have to sit right here, beside me." He patted the chair beside him, grabbing two pens for them to continue their 'conversation'. He told the class to start reading aloud, starting with one kid to the next every paragraph until everyone had read once.

_Why, yes, I did._ He wrote under her statement. Hinata blushed a little before writing, _Why?_

_Because._ He casually turned a page to look like he actually cared about the lesson. Hinata nudged him. She underlined her previous 'why'.

_Why do you think? _he gave a small smirk of a smile, anxiously awaiting her reply.

_Because you're one of those teachers who are attracted to their students and plan to rape/attack them? _

Deidara pretended to look offended for half a second before writing back, _I'm hurt! Why would you think that of me!? :( _Hinata rolled her eyes. _That was my first kiss, you know._ His eyes turned playful. _So you didn't like it?_ She blushed, and he almost laughed. _I didn't say that. _Deidara smiled. _But... we're student and teacher. I don't think that's supposed to work. _She looked sad. He let his hand brush against hers under the desk. _I can make it work, if you let me._ Hinata bit her lip and looked around anxiously.

_Why do you think I kissed you? One paragraph, four sentences or more._

Hinata looked at him in disbelief. He turned the paper over and waved his hand over it, signaling her to start.

_I think Deidara-sensei kissed me because..._ she began. _he 's that kind of person. Deidara-sensei likes to target his students or young girls our age. Deidara-sensei finds me attractive. Deidara-sensei loves me?_ She stopped. This was beginning to be more of an outline than a paragraph. She slid the paper to him and he read it over, smiling.

_Yes, sometimes, yes, and yes. In that order. (Just kidding about the targetting little girls part ;p)_

Hinata blushed. Yes, he's that kind of person. Yes, he finds her attractive. And yes, he loves her.

_Why?_

_Well, I most certainly do not target little girls..._

_No! Why do you... love me?_

At this he smiled widely.

_Why I love Hinata Hyuga. _

_A paragraph by Deidara. _

_I love Hinata Hyuga because she turns in great work that far exceeds my standards. She writes with her heart, not with a pen. The scent of her soul is embedded on her Hello Kitty stationary. Hinata Hyuga makes me laugh and cry. She's most of the reason why I come to school every morning and the reason that I want to stay afterschool to talk. When I think about her, my heart and mind relax and flutter. When I see her, with her beautiful hair and eyes, I want to stare forever until my heart's desire is satisfied. I love Hinata Hyuga because never before have I met a woman so amazing, so kind, so-_

Hinata stopped him. He was taking up their paper. _I think I get it. _she giggled silently. _What do you say?_ he asked. _Deidara-sensei, when you kissed me last night, my heart pounded like it was about to explode. My cheeks turned red and my breath hitched. My hands clutched the sheets in anticipation. _She paused. _What does all that mean?_ he wrote.

_I think it means..._ she smiled. _I love you too._

-:-

...AAGH ;^; I'LL FINISH It's A Vampire Thing SOON I PROMISE ;^;


	2. Chapter 2

HAHA This isn't over yet, if you haven't noticed :)

-:-

Deidara sent Hinata home well before the school's gates closed. She appreciated that he didn't want to spend another night on a squeaky gurney in the nurse's office. She didn't either. But she felt uneasy about it. She questioned her feelings for Deidara, and they weren't even going out yet. Were they? She had told him that she loved him, but she now felt that it was because he was acting sweet, and her heart fluttered when he wrote to her and kissed her.

Fortunately, he didn't put any pressure on her. He didn't expect anything more from her than he did before. He didn't expect a kiss after every class, not a hug every lunch period, just the absolute best she could on her assignments. She almost felt guilty for not calling him her boyfriend.

This guilt went on for almost a week before Deidara revealed a hint that he was still into her. As he paced the columns of desks in the classrooms, he dropped a note on her desk as he passed by. Hinata looked at him and he winked at her. Hesitantly, she unfolded the paper.

_I miss you. Meet me on the roof after school, kay? ;)_

Her heart skipped a beat. She quickly folded the note again and slipped it into her pencil pouch.

She made it to the roof first, since he was the teacher and all. She hoped she didn't seem too eager to meet him. The door to the roof opened without her noticing. Deidara sneaked up behind her and caught her in a tight embrace. "That's dangerous, Hinata, leaving your back open like that. Especially when you're alone." he scolded playfully. "I'm not anymore, right?" She put an arm over his. Deidara smiled. "What's on your mind, deary?" he asked.

Hinata paused to think. A lot of things were on her mind. Her grades, her life at home, her love life... her homeroom teacher... her homeroom _teacher..._She blinked. "This is wrong," she said softly. Deidara frowned. "How?" he asked. "You're my teacher. I'm the student. It shouldn't - doesn't work." she stepped away from him, turning to face him. "I've never heard of a job tearing people apart. Much less lovers." he said in an almost challenging way. Hinata turned away. "You're older than me." she argued. "Lots of boys are older than their girlfriends." he countered. Hinata didn't want to say that he was too old for her. He certainly didn't look that way. But she didn't know for sure.

"How old are you?" she asked. "If I told you, you wouldn't be able to see me anymore." Deidara answered, frustration showing on his face. "It doesn't help that you're not being honest with me." she heard the whisper of him cursing under his breath. "I didn't come here to argue with you." He clarified, walking towards the door.

_Don't leave._

The phrase was at the tip of her tongue. But she had too much pride as a woman to let him win that way. Instead she bit her lip. He stopped when his hand gripped the doorknob. "I came here to say that I loved you. Out loud, instead of on paper." The guilt returned to Hinata's chest, and it burned like fire.

-:-

"What happened? I was sure you two would be making out by now." Sasori, the history teacher, said to Deidara at the nearby coffee shop. "She told me it was wrong." Deidara muttered, taking a large sip from his coffee. "Wrong? Well, I suppose it makes sense. I mean, you _are _the teacher." Sasori shrugged. Deidara glared at him. "I don't get it! Teaching's just a _job! _What's my pay going to do to her?" he lashed, gulping another sip of coffee. "Well, it's sort of unfair. If she started dating you, she'd get better grades than everyone else." Sasori said. "She already does that on her own! She writes... Writes with her heart! Not a pen! That's what I'm looking for! Honest to God effort!"

Deidara sighed stressfully, leaning back on his chair. Sasori laughed. "You don't really know anything, huh?" Deidara turned to him curiously. "If you and Hinata started going out, and someone heard about it, you could get fired. Or worse, arrested. Teachers here are thought to be way older than their students, and that's why it's considered wrong." Sasori explained. Deidara nodded slowly. "That's weird." He ignored the fact that even if he _were _dating Hinata, he'd probably get fired for a different reason...

"She's being very bold, on her part." Sasori continued as they walked out of the coffee shop. "I mean, she could really like you, but she knows her parents and society would frown upon it." he munched on the leftovers of the muffin he bought. "So don't get so mad at her, okay? She's playing her role as a student." Deidara stayed silent the rest of the walk home.

-:-

Hinata was absent the next day. She pretended to be sick to avoid actually feeling sick at school. She didn't want to see Deidara until she fully recovered from... from whatever she was feeling. Her mother went up to her room with lunch.

"Hinata, honey, what's the matter?"

Hinata had no idea she was crying. All she knew was that the chicken soup was warm as it ran down her throat. When she finished, she found the strength to speak again. "I'm in love, mother." she confessed, turning a bright pink. Her mother laughed. "Then why are you crying? Being in love is supposed to be a happy thing." She wrapped an arm around her daughter consolingly. "But it's the wrong guy! I can't love him." Hinata sobbed, leaning into her mother for comfort. "Well, who's the boy?" Her mother asked, turning Hinata so that they were facing each other. "You'll think it's weird when I say it..." Hinata turned away. Her mother pressed her on with her eyes.

"I love... Deidara-sensei."

They were silent for a few moments, and then smiled, chuckling lightly. Clearly confused, her mother explained, "My, My. Is that all?" Even more confused, her mother continued. "Just because he's a teacher doesn't mean... Well, Deidara-sensei doesn't look as old as he says he is. But you never know. Still be careful, though, okay?" Hinata nodded. Her mother stood up and gathered the dirty dishes. "Why don't you sleep? You've cried a lot, you must be tired. Sicky." She teased. Hinata smiled at her and pulled herself under the covers.

When she woke up again, she saw the last person she expected in her room.

"Are you feeling better? I'll go tell your mother you're awake."

Hinata watched Deidara as he exited the room, leaving on his chair his briefcase and the few papers stacked on top. _That's probably my homework,_ she thought. _But why would he wait for me to wake up to give it to me? Most teachers would leave it with the parents before..._She had to admit, Deidara didn't seem to be like most teachers.

Soon he returned with her mother behind him. "Hinata, Deidara-sensei went out of his way to bring you your honmework. He stayed in case you had any questions about it." She explained, heading for the door. "I have dinner roasting in the oven, so I'll leave you up here." She winked at her, which bothered Hinata very, very much. "Study hard!" She cheered before scurrying downstairs.

"Your mother's a nice woman, huh?" Deidara said, smiling. He took the papers off his briefcase and placed them neatly on her lap. "This is from Itachi-sensei. He said this was review for your math test tomorrow. And this is from Sasori-sensei. Review for your History test Friday. You can get started on those; I'll give my assignment last, in case you have time." Hinata nodded, almost hurt at how much like a teacher he sounded. _Well, it only makes sense. He _is_ my homeroom teacher. _She told herself. She quickly finished both assignments within the hour and told Deidara that she was done.

"Alright, now your last assignment for the day is a short essay for me." He handed her a piece of paper and returned to his book.

_Was it something I said? _the paper read. She looked up at Deidara, who was looking at her over his book. "Deidara-sensei," she called. "Yes?" he answered immediately. "I don't understand this prompt." He closed his book and leaned close to her. "Make of it what you will. Let your imagination soar, and all that shit I say during the day." he went back to his chair, and before his arm could retreat, Hinata took hold of it. "You're angry." she said softly. Deidara scoffed, a grin forming on his face. "The one time I actually _love _a girl and she's messing with me. I have no idea if she loves me or not - anymore." he said angrily. Hinata bit her lip.

"And when I gather the courage to tell her that I love her, she turns me down before I get to say it. What am I supposed to feel?" He wrapped his fingers around her hand and kissed it. "She tells me that our love is wrong. Restates that I'm her teacher and she's my student." He leans back again, not letting her grab his hand back. "And _she's _the one who stays home sick. And _I'm_ bringing her her homework, like a teacher's supposed to do."

Hinata stared at her hand, unable to look at him.

"So I guess that's what the prompt means. Was it something I said? Did I do something to make you change your mind suddenly? To make you not love me anymore?" He lifted his hand and dropped it, signaling for her to write freely.

"It's what you _didn't _say, Deidara-sensei. What you didn't tell me." Deidara stared at her. "What's wrong with telling me your age? It's such a simple thing - just a number. If you can't be completely honest with me about that, I can't be with you." she clutched the sheets. He leaned over her, softly pressing his lips to hers. It was such a random act, but she answered it quickly with a sigh. She pushed him away, looking downward. "This is..." His fingers traced her cheek, and he kissed her again, longer. "It's not wrong." He stood upright and gathered his things, getting ready to leave. "I hope you feel better tomorrow." he said, closing the door behind him.

-:-

The senior class of the school was going on a school trip. The town they were going to had years of history in the surrounding area of the hotel. They were to be divided into groups of two or three, the groups staying in their own hotel rooms. Hinata, since she arrived at school late the day they chose, was to stay with the teacher. Deidara. How worse could her situation get?

"Aw, Hinata. Don't look so bummed. Think about the people who got picked to be with Itachi-sensei! He's boring and he'd probably burn a hole through you with his eyes." Sakura, Hinata's friend said comfortingly. "Though... I'd kill to be paired up with Hidan-sensei... That man is mighty fine." Ino sighed wistfully. Sakura hit her. "Deidara-sensei's a fun teacher. You should feel lucky. All I got was this Blondie over here." Sakura jerked her thumb towards Ino, who was fantasizing about Hinan-sensei. When she snapped back to reality, she said to Sakura, "Well you've got the hots for Sasori-sensei. DON'T JUDGE ME."

Hinata laughed a bit at their antics. "Thanks, you two. Um... good luck with your... er... problems." She said awkwardly. The two just grinned.

Hinata noticed Deidara staring at her. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, then glanced up at him again. He blinked. _This is going to be a long hour._ She thought.

--

"I'm glad you're feeling better, Hinata."

"Actually, I'm not feeling all that well, Deidara-sensei."

"Oh? Why not?"

Hinata was glad it was Friday. "Deidara-sensei, If you're still angry at me, I'm sorry. I'm just not comfortable with this." she sighed. She turned to leave the room, but he quickly stood up and blocked her way. She pouted up at him. "I want to go on a date before we go on the school trip. Just one, not as teacher and student, but as a boy and a girl. In love." He said. Hinata opened her mouth to say something, but couldn't. "At town square, tomorrow at 3. Please." he moved to write it down on a Post-It and stuck it on Hinata's forehead. "I'll wait as long as I have to. All day, if I have to." She rolled her eyes. He ran his finger over her forehead, making sure the Post-It stuck properly. "Please." He whispered.

She tore the Post-It off her forehead. "Don't hold your breath." She snapped, storming out the door.

-:-

_He is __dedicated._

Hinata arrived at town square two hours early. He was there. She left to get a late lunch at a nearby McDonald's. When she returned, he was trying to feed a pigeon some bread. She sat at the bench for an hour more, and he was still there.

By 7pm, he disappeared. Hinata walked out to the center. No one else was there. _Where did he go? _She turned around, searching. Nothing. Hanging her head, she turned to walk back home. She bumped into someone's Teriyaki take-out.

"Oh! I-I-I'm sorry! I was waiting for someone and was about to give up when..."

"Finally."

Hinata was pulled into a hug. He smelled like the Thai place down the street. "Deidara-sensei..." She pulled away from him and looked him over. He was wearing jeans, a striped long-sleeved top, and a purple sweater. He had checkered bracelets and a necklace with a cross on it. He looked so much younger than he already did. She felt over dressed, with her long white skirt and light lace blouse (complete with sweater and hat). "What are you..." She stumbled on her words, keeping her mouth shut to prevent from embarrassing herself. "I was just about to give up, but I decided to take a last minute peek. I never thought you'd be here, but here you are!" He grinned at her. Hinata turned away. He leaned down and licked her cheek. She screeched and stepped back a few steps.

"D-D-Deidara-sensei!" She gasped. "What? I got some Teriyaki sauce on your face when I hugged you." He licked his lips.

He walked to her. "Do you have any napkins? I need to wipe this stuff off." He sat down at the fountain and wiped the bits of sauce in his hair. Hinata shyly handed him her handkerchief. "Thanks." he dipped the tip in the water and began wiping off the sauce. In the end he took off his shirt completely, zipping up his sweater. "I'm sorry..." Hinata murmured softly. "Hmm?" Deidara leaned closer to her. "Could you repeat that, miss?" He toyed with the hair on her back. "I'm sorry, Deidara-sensei. About your dinner, I mean." she added the last part quickly. "It would've meant nothing without you anyway." He kissed her cheek.

"Let's go out to dinner; not Teriyaki, since you seem to strongly oppose to the stuff. Where would you like to go?" he took her hand and led her out of the square. She kept silent. "McDonald's again?" he offered as they walked by. She shook her head. "Hmm..." They walked past the big city and had walked into the suburbs where Deidara lived. "How 'bout I cook tonight?" He didn't wait for her reply and walked right into his house. He felt Hinata's hand tense when she realized where she was. He chuckled a bit. "Go ahead and warm yourself up on the couch. I'll get started in the kitchen." She ignored him and followed him to the kitchen, carefully placing herself in one of the table's chairs. He slipped on an apron and took out a pan. "What do you feel like tonight, Hinata?" He asked, opening his fridge. Again, she didn't respond.

Deidara sighed and sat across from her, taking her hands in his. "What's got you down all of a sudden?" he asked softly, pressing his lips against her fingertips. She blushed and continued to look down, staring at the simple wood table. He waited patiently for her answer.

"You'll think it's silly. And childish." she muttered, finally. "Tell me anyway." He said playfully. She tried to mask her laugh with a cough. "I've been had." She started. Deidara nodded, a little bit of an idea forming in his head. "I was actually at Town Square two hours early and... Well, you knew all along. You just let me sit at that bench for 6 hours when at any time you could have..." She swallowed a lump in her throat. He laughed. "So I have to do all the work now?" he teased. Hinata flushed in embarrassment and lost pride. He had a point. "If I'm the one hitting on you all the time, I'd have no assurance whatsoever that you _want_to be in a relationship. Think of the guy for once!" Hinata began to say something but cut herself short. He was right on so many different levels.

"If you want me, then you have to meet me halfway, my dear." He pressed her hands to his face and smiled.

-:-

:D

Soo... I didn't mean for chapter 1 to sound like a one-shot, (and it did, to your confusion) so here's chapter two. I did like it, though, as a one-shot. But it would have been a waste of a plot line if I didn't continue.

Ciao!


	3. Chapter 3

Deidara cooked ramen for dinner.

"Sorry. I don't have anything too fancy to cook for you." he sat across from her, his bowl of ramen sitting to cool. Hinata started eating, staring at anything but Deidara. Pretty soon she ran out of things to look at, so she glanced briefly in his direction before settling for her food. He was looking at her. He wasn't even eating. His head was resting on his hand and was staring dreamily at her. She shifted awkwardly under his gaze, as she did many times before. She bit her lip and looked up at him. "Is there something on my face...?" she asked meekly, shrinking a little in her seat.

"Why, yes, my dear, there are many things on your face." He said smoothly, making her blush. "I see a pair of beautiful eyes with a cute button nose just above two lips I enjoy kissing so much." he recited as if her features were a beautiful poem. She just looked away. He stepped out of his seat and pulled her face up. "I see a girl who yearns to love me." He leaned down to kiss her, but she turned again so that it landed on her cheek. He sighed, then kissed her cheek again. "I guess I'll take you home. Wait here, I'll get my keys." he walked out of the room, leaving her to her thoughts.

_Meet him halfway, meet him halfway..._ she told herself over and over.

She heard him in the hallway. _Meet him halfway._ She walked to him, forgetting all the doubts she had in her head for this moment. _Meet him halfway._"Hinata? Haha, I guess you really want to go home." He laughed lightly. "Deidara-sensei..." she stopped him mid-step, fiddling with the string on her coat. He reached out to touch her arm, but decided against it. His hand ended up resting on the side table close to Hinata's hip. "Yes?" he asked, getting ready to kiss her. Just before their lips touched, he could have sworn that she stepped up to kiss him herself. His eyes opened a little to see her face. Her eyes were closed and her cheeks were red. He smiled against her lips and pressed a little more, wrapping his arms around her waist.

When they pulled away, Deidara couldn't help the smirk forming on his face. She blushed furiously, straightening up the collar she messed up during their kiss. "Why the change of heart?" he asked, stroking a wisp of her hair. He brushed his lips against it, looking for her reaction. She quickly withdrew her hair, petting it like a cat. "U-Um... Th... That was a th-thank you for... the dinner." she stuttered, shyly poking her fingers together. Deidara studied her for a few minutes before nodding. "Well, you're very welcome. How about I take you home now?" he said, taking her hand and leading her out the door to his car. They drove in silence the whole way until they reached her house.

"Thank you for the ride, Deidara-sensei." she said, hurriedly stepping out of the car. He was already waiting for her by the gate. She stood awkwardly in front of him.

"Thank _you, _Hinata, for meeting me halfway." She stared at him with wide eyes. He laughed.

-:-

The students who were paired with teachers had to ride in the teacher's car. The rest were on a bus that headed to the historic town that was dubbed 'Old Konoha'. It was an hour and a half drive, and Hinata fell asleep in the car. Deidara gently woke her up when they arrived, helping her with her bags. Apparently, they were the last of the students (and teachers) to arrive, so all the rooms for two were taken. _My, how convenient. _Deidara hummed happily in his head.

"I'm sorry for the inconvenience." the manager said. "We could bring up an extra bed if you wish." Deidara shook his head. "I'm sure we'll manage. Right, Hinata?" he looked at Hinata, who was still half asleep. "Yeah, sure, whatever." she said passively. "Okay. So your room is..." Deidara took care of the room preparations while Hinata sat at the nearby bench. When he returned, he picked Hinata up bridal style and carried her to the elevator. She gladly leaned against him, eagerly awaiting the comfort of the bed in their room.

She sighed happily as she hopped onto the bed, bouncing a bit to turn over. She looked around the room, noting that there was only one bed.

"Deidara-sensei?" She called to Deidara, who was in the bathroom changing his clothes. "Where are you going to sleep?" she asked. He poked his head out of the bathroom to smirk at her, then returned to brush his teeth. She stared at the bathroom door in disbelief. "B-But w-wouldn't that mean..." she turned a dark red, adjusting her short uniform skirt self-consciously.

"I'm afraid the hotel ran out of extra beds, so we'll have to share." he lied. Hinata groaned. "Are you _serious?_" She plopped back down on the bed, arms and legs spread wide. "You should change into your PJs. It's late." Deidara said, walking out of the bathroom. Hinata squeaked and turned away. "What?" he asked, looking himself over. He was in his pajamas. "Y-You're not..." Hinata muttered. Deidara looked himself over again then smirked deviously. "Honey, you're lucky I'm wearing _this_ to bed." he said, sitting at the side, placing an arm on her back. "Are you serious!?" She squeaked angrily. "Well, would you rather I take it off?" He leaned over her to kiss her head. "Or do _you_want to?" Hinata snapped her head up, hitting Deidara's nose. "Ow!" he yelped. "I-I-I'm gonna change now!" She hopped up and ran to the bathroom.

_Shoot! I should have packed better pajamas! He's gonna stare at me all night! Or worse..._ She shivered. All she had were short shorts and a tank top that made her breasts more than they really were. _Oh! Stupid hotel and their No-Extra-Bed!_ She brushed her teeth and stepped slowly out of the bathroom. He seemed to be asleep already, so she cautiously set herself up on the other side of the bed. Happy to feel the comfort of a pillow under her head, she closed her eyes and...

...felt an arm wrap around her waist.

_I should have expected this,_ she thought, annoyed. _I mean, we're sleeping in the same bed, alone in a hotel room where no one can hear you scream..._

"And you said _I _wasn't wearing anything." he said teasingly. Hinata, in a sudden rush of anger, elbowed him hard in the gut. He grunted, rolling back to his side of the bed. "If you try anything, I'm going to sleep on the floor." she threatened. He didn't respond, but he sure as hell got the idea.

--

_I didn't come here to argue with you._

_I love you._

_If you want me, you'll have to meet me halfway._

Clack, Clack, Clack.

_This is wrong. _

_We can't..._

_Meet him halfway. _

-Verizon Wireless Ring tone-

Beep, Beep, Beep.

_Hinata..._

_Deidara-sensei..._

Hinata jolted herself awake. She felt Deidara's hand stroke her head absently as he texted on his phone. "Did I wake you?" he asked, closing his phone and tossing it beside him. She shook her head. "You were dreaming. Everything's okay now." He carefully wrapped an arm around her shoulders. He didn't want her to elbow him again. "I wasn't having a nightmare, Deidara-sensei." she whispered, sitting up. He leaned on his arm, which was behind her waist. "Well, that's good. You should go back to sleep." He moved away so that she could lay down again. She stayed upright. "I don't want to. Not yet." She said.

Deidara looked at her, then shrugged. "You slept in the car, so I guess it's alright." he looked at her. She was rubbing her eyes cutely, yawning a bit. She was so irresistible. He just _had _to kiss her. "Who are you texting?" She asked, turning to look at his phone. He was leaning toward her, his arm wrapping around her waist. He tilted her head up, their lips growing closer and closer until...

-Verizon Wireless Ring tone-

"Uh... Its Sasori. He wants to know if we made it or not." he quickly pulled away from her. She felt disappointed. Usually he was more persistent than that.

_She's awake. Brb._

"Are you sleepy yet?" he asked, stretching. Hinata shook her head. He noticed how disappointed she looked. "Did you want me to kiss you?" he asked. She opened her mouth to protest, but stopped. She slowly nodded. "Well, you're not getting one." He said strictly. She looked hurt now. Deidara absently rubbed his cheek. "I kiss you, you hate it, you kiss me, you hate it. You're teasing me, Hinata." he dropped his hand. "It hurts a lot more than what I show you." he let himself show the hurt he felt inside for a brief moment before turning away. Hinata reached out to touch his hand, but he pulled away. "I'm going to sleep now. You too, if you like." he turned off his phone, then the lamp beside him, and went to sleep.

--

Hinata thought long and hard. About Deidara, about their relationship, and about what she really wanted. Was she really this opposed to him? She couldn't deny that she wanted him to kiss her. Not only then, but every time before that. Even before that night in the Nurse's office. She had always been attracted to him. The way he smiled at her - and only her - when they made eye contact, the way he wrote little notes on her paper telling her what a great job she did, the way he talked to her after class... Everything about him seemed to make her sparkle inside.

She heard something vibrate on Deidara's bedside table. His cell phone. Hinata carefully reached over him and grabbed it. It was a text message from Sasori.

_Well?? What happened? Is she still awake?_

Hinata bit her lip. She gripped the phone tightly. _She went back to sleep. _she replied. She went back to his messages and read his Inbox and Outbox.

_What room are you guys in? I'm in 324._

_We're in 321. :D_

_Cool! You guys made it last, y'know._

_I know. They told us that they had no more rooms for two. IYKWIM. (If you know what I mean)_

_Haha. Don't scare her, Dei. You'll only push her away. _

_I told her that the hotel had no extra beds (blatant lie haha) is that considered scary?_

_I call that clever ;) so what are you doing now, up so late?_

_Im watching her sleep. Shes beautiful, have you ever noticed?_

_I'm sure you have haha. _

_She's awake. Brb._

The phone was snatched from her hands. She gasped, looking over at who took the phone. "What are you doing!?" Deidara yelled, looking angry. Hinata shrunk down into the sheets, guilty. He looked at his phone, at the messages from Sasori. "How much did you read?" he demanded, looking at her. She felt a tear fall down her cheek. "All of it." She said with a shaky voice. There was a lump in her throat and more tears fell. Deidara gave a rusty sigh and threw his phone at the foot of the bed. He ran a hand through his hair. Hinata glanced at him and noticed that his face was bright red.

She reached for the phone and held it tightly in her hand. "I guess you can order an extra bed, since you despise me so much." He grunted, handing her the hotel's phone. "You watched me sleep." she whispered. "Yes, yes, you're better than daytime television." He waved the phone at her. "You think I'm beautiful." she looked at him. "More beautiful than a sunset." He muttered impatiently, waving the phone more angrily at her. "You lied about the hotel running out of beds." she let the cell phone slip through her hands.

"Okay, okay! I get it, I'm a stupid guy for falling in love with the most amazing girl in the entire known universe and beyond. Now are you gonna call the lobby or am I gonna do it for you?" He poked her shoulder with the phone.

Hinata wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him as hard as she could.

-:-

Of course, the text messages are in chat speak.


	4. Chapter 4

The kiss was so random that Deidara had no idea what to do about it. His hands clasped her shoulders and gently pushed her away. "I can't." he said. Hinata blinked back a few tears, nodding. She looked down and the tears flowed freely onto the sheets. "I'm sorry, Deidara-sensei." She whispered. "I don't know... Well, I mean... I just..." She bit her lip. Deidara scratched his head. "That doesn't mean I don't love you." he let his fingers brush her face before moving to get off the bed. "I guess it's morning now. 5:30." he stretched and yawned. "That was quite the eventful night, wasn't it?" He put his cell phone on the table.

"I'm gonna go get changed. You can go sleep a little; I'll wake you up."

Now that he mentioned it, she was quite a bit tired. Hinata slowly lowered herself to the pillow, closing her eyes and relaxing a bit. Deidara glanced back at her and smiled.

-:-

"So, how was your one-bed sleep with Deidara-sensei?" Sakura prodded at lunch. "Hm." Hinata said softly. She was completely unaware of her curious group of friends leaning over her, anxious to hear of her romance with a teacher.

Unsatisfied, Ino asked, "Did he kiss you?" Hinata shrugged.

"Hug?"

"Hm."

"Sex?"

"Hm."

Annoyed, Sakura shook Hinata by the shoulders to wake her up. "You're acting like a lovesick fool! Snap out of it!" She yelled. Hinata was awake now, and she was crying. "Ah." Sakura started to apologize. "Jeez, Sakura, look what you did!" Ino shoved Sakura over and hugged Hinata tightly. "It's okay, I'll make sure she doesn't hit you anymore." Hinata shook her head, wiping her eyes quickly. "I-I-It's okay. It's n-n-not that..." She said between sobs. "Then what is it?" Ino glanced at Sakura, who was at Hinata's other side in a second. "I-I-I'm just... confused. I'm sorry, It's not a big deal." She tried laughing, but it only turned into more sobbing.

Sakura and Ino glanced at each other. _Deidara-sensei._ They hugged her tightly. "It's okay, Hinata." Ino said, patting her head. "Yeah, It'll be alright." Sakura patted her shoulder. "Thanks..." Hinata whispered.

"Hey, Hey, what's going on here?"

Hinata flinched. Deidara walked by their table, carrying a breifcase. "What's up with her?" he asked, trying not to sound too worried. It worked, to Hinata's dismay. She began to sob again. He rolled his eyes as a part of his act. "Come on," he helped her stand up. "I'll take you back to our room. If you'll excuse us, ladies." He nodded to Sakura and Ino, who exchanged worried looks. Eventually they nodded, watching the two walk away.

When they got back to the hotel, Hinata got a drink of water in the bathroom. Deidara waited patiently until she calmed down.

"Why were you crying?" he asked, leading her to the bed where they could sit down. Hinata shrugged, looking away. He tilted her head so that she looked him in the eye. "It hurts me to see you like this, you know." Tears were in her eyes again. "Why are you crying?" he wiped the tears that streamed down her cheeks. He made sure that only his hands were touching her.

_He isn't hugging me._ _He isn't kissing me. He isn't..._ She couldn't stop the tears from flowing. It hurt so much in her heart. "Aw, Hinata." He handed her a box of tissues as he stood up to dry his cuffs. "I-I'm sorry..." Hinata blubbered, blowing her nose.

Deidara stretched, looking at her through the side of his eye. He didn't know what to say. If he said that it was okay, it would be a lie. He didn't know if it was okay or not (and by the looks of it, things were far from okay). If he said the truth, it wouldn't be the best course of action, either.

Instead of speaking the truth, he thought, I'll seek the truth.

"What do you want, Hinata?" he walked to her, placing a hand on her shoulder and sitting beside her. She looked up at him, confused. "What will make you feel better?" he rephrased. She was silent for a few moments. She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him. He slowly hugged her back. "Are you better yet?" he asked. He felt himself trembling. He didn't want to hear her say this was wrong again, or that he wasn't being honest... or that she didn't love him, worst-case scenario. She felt him shaking too and hugged him tighter. She looked up at him and puckered her lips slightly. Deidara wanted to avoid this part so much, but he couldn't pull himself away. He had been resisting her touch for as long as he could, but not long enough to prove the point he had long forgotten by now. He slowly leaned down, hesitating just before their lips met.

He pulled away too soon; Hinata's lips were still puckered. He cupped her face, running his thumb over her lips. "Are you better yet?" he asked again. She shook her head. "What else do you want me to do?" he asked, holding her tighter. She obviously wanted him to kiss her again, but he didn't. "I want you to say it." he whispered, sliding a strand of hair to the side. "K...Kiss... me." she mumbled. "Louder." he teased her mouth with his warm breath. "Kiss me," she said, louder. "Kiss me, Deidara-sensei!"

Deidara pushed her onto the bed. "Why? Why do you want me to kiss you?" He asked, torturing himself by bringing his face close to hers. "Because..." Hinata struggled with the words. She began to cry again, her feelings conflicting with each other. "Why!?" He demanded.

"Because I love you!" she shouted, finally. "I love you with every fiber of my _being!_ I've loved you, Deidara-sensei, since before the trip! Before the nurse's office, before _everything!_" She tilted her head away from him to let her tears fall. Deidara kissed her exposed neckline before tilting her head towards him. "I love you." he said feircely. "Even before you loved me, I've loved you. When you turned in your first paper to me three years ago, I was in love." he gave her the biggest kiss he ever gave, gentle yet holding all the intensity of his love. "Do you mean that, Deidara-sensei?" she asked, the effects of her heart being hopelessly in love affecting her thoughts. "Every word." he kissed her jaw line and collar bone.

"I'm sorry." Hinata whispered, wrapping her arms around him. "What for?" He rolled so that he was under her. "You were confused. Or... playing hard to get." he kissed her cheek. She smiled.

-:-

_Where'd you two go at lunch?_

_We got lovey-lovey with each other._

_Oh really?_

_She was crying, and manly me helped her get better :x_

_Oh my god, you two had sex._

_NO! Jesus. We made out. _

_Haha just kidding. So are you two going out now?_

_Hmm... I'm not sure. I mean, people who aren't dating make out sometimes too, right?_

_True. Why don't you ask her?_

"Hinata?" Deidara turned to her on the bed the next morning. "Hm?" She was still sleepy, her eyes closed and under the blankets. "Are we... going out?" he felt a little shy about it. "Well, we're on a school trip. We can't spend it in our hotel room..." she yawned, turning a little so that she was face-down in the pillow. "Totally not what I meant." Deidara slid down to her level, wrapping his arm around her. "Are we _dating?_" he clarified. Hinata turned to him, blushing. "I-I-I guess..." she looked away. "You can't say no after that make-out session last night." he whistled. "We weren't even having sex and you were moaning a lot." he felt her wriggle under his arm. He held her tighter. "That's okay, though."

They stayed like that for a little bit. "Why do you always text at night?" Hinata turned to hug him. "It's free. Our phone companies let us text at night for free." he explained. "Oh. Why did you take up teaching?" She asked. He shrugged. "Me and Sasori said we would, so we did." he toyed with her hair. "Do you like it?" Hinata looked up at him. "Hmm, yeah. I mean, I met you through teaching, right?" he kissed her head. She smiled. _Maybe if I ask him enough questions... he'd tell me his age. _she thought.

"Did you always want to be a teacher?"

"Heh, _No._ I thought that kids were repulsive creatures that wanted to make people older than them miserable. Well, that was the case when I was a child. All the kids around me wanted to make the teacher explode. He quit after October. Haha."

Hinata kept asking him questions, even through breakfast and his shower. She knew almost everything about him except his age. When the right moment came to ask, he was walking with her down the sidewalk outside their hotel.

"Deidara-sensei, how old are you?"

"Nineteen."

The second he said it, he wished he hadn't. _That sneaky little..._ he saw her entire plan flash before his eyes. The whole barrage of questions was to ask how old he was! And he fell for it! He felt like an idiot for a minute. _Couldn't she have gone on without knowing how old I was?_ He guessed not, then thought to look for her reaction.

"Nineteen, huh? Well, that's not so old..." The number sunk in. "N-Nineteen!? Nineteen? Nine_teen!?_" she shreiked louder and louder. He clamped a hand over her mouth. "Shit, Hinata! Why would you do that?" he hissed. "B-But we're... WE'RE IN THE SAME AGE GROUP-" He shushed her. "I shouldn't have told you!" he said. "Why not? That explains _everything!_" Hinata said, still shocked. "It explains everything, but it doesn't _solve_ everything." he ran a hand through his hair. "But..." Hinata began to think. Why would his age cause problems?

Well, for one thing, he was underage. Much too young to be a teacher, or too close to his student's age group to be given the job. He probably lied about his age and experience to get a job. He looked young as well. Attractive. Being nineteen explained that entirely. But a lot of other teachers were young-looking as well, so what did that mean? Hinata studied Deidara curiously. When he noticed, he blushed and looked away.

"How long have you been teaching, Deidara... sensei?" Knowing that he was practically the same age as her, she felt odd calling him a teacher. "Uh... Not long, actually. Three years, i suppose." That would have made him sixteen. Sixteen! He was among students his age, and he was the teacher! Where did he get the education?

"I had no experience in teaching, so I had to stay up late to know the lesson to teach tomorrow. I'm glad I took Language Arts, otherwise I would've been killed." he scratched his neck absently. Hinata tilted her head to the side. "You have a lot of explaining to do when we get back to the hotel." she warned as they parted ways. As she walked up the sidewalk towards the place where her friends were going to meet, she felt arms wrap around her. "Have a nice day. I love you." He kissed her cheek. She turned to look at Deidara, who was blushing as well. "Y-You too." She stammered. Now that he was Nineteen, he looked even younger. More normal.

He was beginning to look a lot like Mr. Right, if you know what I mean.

-:-

"You _what!?_" Sasori almost yelled, if it weren't for the fact that they were eating at a restaurant. "I-I couldn't help it! She tricked me!" Deidara covered his head with his hands, chin on the table in guilt and despair. "She could blow our cover, you know that?" Sasori continued. "I know! I know. I just... really like her and..." he turned a light pink. Sasori sighed. "I was totally into you being in love, but _jeez_ Deidara, I thought it was just a big crush." he rolled his eyes. "How did she trick you?" Deidara explained how she kept asking him questions throughout the morning. He could tell Sasori was getting annoyed.

"That's it? I thought she brainwashed you or something. That's such a simple trick, Deidara! And you fell for it!" He just kept scolding and scolding until their food arrived. Then he scolded him with his mouth full.

"But I'm sort of glad she knows. I mean, now I can be _really_ honest with her. Just like she wanted." he said dreamily, playing with the straw in his drink. Sasori hit him. "You realize that if your age even slips her mouth, we'll have to quit our jobs as teachers and move far, far, _far_ away. Right?" he said. "Us, along with all the other young teachers at our school. I _told _them it was risky being at the same school, but _no_..." He berated, leaning back in his chair with a huff. "Oh well. I guess it can't be helped." he paused.

"I mean, you can never forget a secret once you know one."

-:-

This is some weird feild trip we're having.


	5. Chapter 5

There was one more day before the school trip ended.

Everyone was packing their things in their rooms, being careful with fragile souvenirs or finding lost homework. Or some doing neither and using this trip as an excuse for no homework for the next three assignments.

It was silent as Hinata and Deidara packed their things. Hinata had told him to explain things later, when they were back at the hotel, but neither said anything. Deidara felt nervous under the silent pressure and began speaking.

"So, half the things I told you about me and Sasori were big fat lies."

What an opening line.

Hinata stopped packing for a minute to look at him. "What parts?" she inquired. Deidara thought a moment. "Oh, the 'wanting to be teachers' bit, the 'children are monsters'... I know there was more, but I don't remember. But the part about my unruly class and the quitting teacher was relatively real." he zipped up his bag and kicked it to the side, then jumped onto the bed. Hinata continued packing.

More silence.

Hinata stopped moving for a minute, and he stared at her, puzzled. "I still can't believe you're only Nineteen." she sighed, staring into space. Deidara rolled the other way on the bed, away from her. "I still can't believe you know." he muttered.

"Why are you a teacher? You should be a student, like me." She threw her bag on top of Deidara's and sat next to him on the bed. He didn't know if he should hug her or not. "You're so young, Deidara-sensei. Why?" she looked at him with concern. He shrugged. "My life wasn't the easiest." he said softly. Hinata slipped her hand into his. "Tell me." She whispered.

Deidara bit his lip. A pained look crossed his face, revealing another flash of emotion from deep inside him. Despite this, he told her his story.

"I was abandoned when I was young." he began. "I figured it was because they couldn't take care of me anymore, but something always told me it was something else." He rolled so that he was facing Hinata again. "I was a smart kid. I knew that if I wanted to survive, I'd need money. So immediately, at seven years old, I started looking for a job. I always hung out at a Newspaper Stand in town, reading the newspapers and looking at the books in bookstores in that area. I got food from the Newspaper Stand Guy, who always had enough to spare." Deidara had a distant look in his eye as he remembered. "I grew up there." he chuckled a bit. "Somewhere along the way, the Newspaper Stand became a place for young kids to be taken care of until... well, until they decided to leave." He paused. "Somewhere along the way, I met Sasori."

By now, Hinata had laid beside him, still holding his hand. "Sasori's Nineteen too?" she asked. Deidara nodded, then he wasn't so sure. "I think he's a little younger." he pondered over it for a little more before he continued. Hinata supressed a gasp of surprise.

"We became friends instantly. And, almost as instantly, we both found steady jobs at 15. We applied for driver's licences and by the time we were 16 we drove to our interview. It was strange, because the ad said 'Help the Needy'. We thought we were going to some shelter that paid you to help. But what it really was... was a school." Hinata almost laughed. Help the Needy. What a joke.

"The principal explained that the 'Needy' were the kids who were poor... in education." Deidara laughed. "We both thought it was a stupid idea, but work was work, and the pay was good. We got away with faking our age and experience and all that on the forms. We were hired on the spot, since to begin with they were short on staff."

Deidara paused for a long time. "And I guess that's it. That's all I have to tell you." he shrugged. Hinata sat up, looking at him. "Is that really what happened?" she whispered, as if someone else were listening. "Yeah." He looked back at her, his eyes holding a kind of vulnerability; the kind that made him look like he just told her a very painful secret. He felt exposed, but he made like he didn't.

Hinata stared deep into his eyes. He pulled her down for a short kiss. "But if my life had been any better, I might not have met you." His eyes changed to something hopeful. "You made it all worthwhile." he smiled at her. Hinata blushed darkly. He was so sweet! She closed her eyes. Deidara chuckled lightly, kissing her again. And again. And again. Suddenly she began crying. Almost panicked, he began wiping the tears away. "What happened?" He asked, surprised. When the tears wouldn't stop, he pressed her against him. She hugged him tightly. "Was it something I said?" he laughed, stroking her hair. She shook her head, holding back a small wail. "Come on, my story isn't that sad."

"B-But it was s-sad at f-f-first, right?" she said between sobs. Deidara smiled softly, kissing her hair. "Of course it was." He let her lay down on the bed when she calmed down. "Then that's why I'm crying."

-:-

"Yes, Yes, I'll tell her."

"No, I don't think she told anyone else."

"Yes, I remember."

"Uh-huh."

"Uh-huh."

Deidara took a second to glance at Hinata, who was beginning to look a bit annoyed.

"Anything else? No? Okay. Yeah. I know. Bye."

Finally, he closed his phone and continued driving, almost scared to look at Hinata.

"I--I'm sorry." he said nervously.

"It would've been nice if you didn't talk like I wasn't there." She huffed. "I didn't exactly have a choice..." Deidara defended, stopping at a red light. He turned to Hinata, who had her arms crossed and was looking out the window. "So what did Sasori-sensei want you to tell me?" she asked without looking at him. Before he could answer, the light turned green, and the car behind them honked their horn. Deidara grumbled before stepping on the gas. "Well..." he started, glaring at the car behind them, which was speeding up to cut them. He wanted so much to speed up and cut _him_ off, but weighed his other option, which included keeping a certain girl his age safe.

"Sasori wanted me to make you swear secrecy." he chuckled lightly, taking his mind off his minor road rage. Hinata laughed a little as well, distracting him completely from his anger. "I hereby swear to keeping your secrets, Deidara-sensei." Hinata put a hand over her heart and the other in the air. "Cross your heart and hope to die." Deidara added childishly. She smiled, bringing her hand down to his. Her little finger hooked with his. Surprised, he first glanced at their hands and then her. She didn't notice him looking, but she was still smiling. He moved his hand so that it covered hers.

"I... I love you, Hinata." he said, blushing. A few seconds later, he felt her press her lips against his cheek. In another spasm of surprise, he jerked the wheel to the side, dangerously merging lanes and quickly parking at the side of the road. In this chaos, Hinata and fallen onto his lap. He was breathing heavily, and he glanced down at her. "S-Sorry." he stuttered. "Y-You surprised m-me." He parked the car and leaned back in his seat to catch his breath. Hinata, trying to get up, accidentally elbowed the horn, making them both jump. He quickly pushed her back to her seat. "Stop that." He said, laughing under his breath.

When they settled down, Hinata held his hand again. "I love you too, Deidara-sensei." He leaned over and kissed her cheek before driving again.

-:-

"Come on, Sasori. It's just a drink."

Sasori was nervous.

"Yeah, Sasori, a drink. Harmless."

Very nervous.

"It won't hurt a bit."

He was in a bar with his peers. He was nervous because, if he got drunk, he might reveal his age. His young looks was always a conversation starter, and that conversation was one that he wanted to avoid at all costs. Especially drunk.

"No, I'm fine. Thanks." he said, sliding the tempting drink away from him.

"Suit yourself." his friends said.

--

"Ahahahaha... So, 'Sori-baby, how old are you, reeeeally?"

Despite his mind's previous warnings, he had gotten drunk with his friends.

"Yeaaaahh. You've got all the girrrlllls hot fer ya with yer young looks, there, mister!"

They laughed obnoxiously at each other. Sasori laughed along with them, raising his glass in a toast.

"I'm younger th'n ya _think_ I am!" He said daringly, slamming his cup onto the table.

"C'mon! Tell usss 'Sori-Baaaaby!"

If he weren't so drunk, he'd be disturbed at the odd nickname they gave him.

"I'm a friggen 18-year old! How 'bout that!?"

Not being able to register the information, the guys all laughed loudly.

"18 he says! Hoo boy, that explains a lot!"

"Hahahahaha yeah, you said it!"

"Hahaha... Ha..." Sasori's drunk was starting to wear off, and he had begun to register the things he said in his head

"Hahaha... I think I'm gonna go throw up outside..."

Once he was outside the door, he bolted for his car and drove off, calling Deidara immediately on his cell phone.

-:-

Oh, Sasori. You silly drunk, underage drinking, inexperienced, law-breaking 18-year old you!

(Ehehehe... Deidara only acts that nervous around Hinata, when his guard's down)


	6. Chapter 6

It was a day after the school trip, and everyone was back home, safe and sound. Deidara and Hinata were in the classroom after school one day, just enjoying each others' company while she did her homework.

"So what did Sasori-sensei want?" Hinata asked.

"What?" Deidara was confused, since Sasori hadn't called him that day.

"Yesterday. When we were at that restaurant. Sasori-sensei called you and you went into the bathroom to talk to him." Deidara thought for a little more before remembering.

"Oh... That."

-:-

"Hello?"

_"Deidara! Oh god, you'll never guess how stupid I was just now!"_

"Sasori? Why? What happened?"

_"So me and some other teachers walk into a bar, right?"_

"This isn't the beginning of some stupid joke right?"

_"Dammit, Deidara! This is serious! I almost blew our cover -- er, well, I don't know if I _didn't_... Well..."_

"Slow down. So you almost blew our cover for..."

_"Our ages! I told them I was 18!"_

"Now why the hell would you do that?"

_"I was drunk! But they were too, so I don't know if they heard me right, but you know what kind of drunk Itachi is! We're in deep shit!"_

"Itachi was there? Shit!"

_"Exactly!"_

-:-

Deidara leaned back in his chair, trying to look relaxed. The look on his face gave him away once again. "It was nothing," he said. "Sasori just... kindagaveusawaybygivinghisagetosomepeopleatabar." Unfortunately for him, Hinata caught all that. "Oh! What does that mean? Are you going away now?" She asked, worried. Deidara shook his head. "I... don't know. Itachi-sensei was there, so there's a chance we might have to quit this job..." He kept one detail to himself. Hinata walked to him, taking his face in her hands. "Where will you go if you quit?" Deidara grimaced; that was the exact detail he wanted to keep secret. "You are such a _woman._" He purred, shifting his emotions and hiding them expertly. He took her hands and advanced on her, planting kisses on her face. "I'll tell you when we get there." He winked at her and went back to his seat. Hinata stayed pressed against the wall.

"I hope Itachi-sensei doesn't tell." she said, returning to her desk. "I hope he doesn't remember." Deidara added. They were silent for a while.

"Well, Hinata, we should go home now." Deidara stood up and stretched. He walked over to Hinata, who was resting her head on the desk, sound asleep. He smiled a little, running his fingers over her hair. Then he lightly shook her awake. "Mnh... Huh?" She groggily brought her head up and glanced around. Deidara caught her in a short lip-lock. She pulled away blushing. "You were sleeping, my dear?" he smirked, pulling her out of her seat. He twirled her around until she was completely awake. When they were at his desk, he pulled her into a hug. "We should go home, before the gates close in on us." he let her go to pack her things.

"I don't _want_to go home yet, Deidara-sensei!" she whined, slinging her bag reluctantly over her shoulder. "Oh? You don't want to finish your homework, watch television, have dinner with the family and eventually crawl into bed to dream of me?" he shoved all the papers on his desk into his briefcase. "I could dream of you," Hinata said, walking with him out of the classroom. "But that's a long ways from now, and I don't know what to do until then." she gave him a look. Deidara let his previous smirk resurface. "Okay, then..." he stepped over to her slowly, pacing around her observantly. "So you want to finish your homework, watch television, have dinner and eventually crawl into bed... with _me?_" he slid his hand into hers, swinging their arms idly as they walked out of the school. Hinata thought about it. "Hmm..." before she could say anything, they were already well on their way to Deidara's house.

"I don't think I showed you around last time." He said, hanging his coat up in the closet. Hinata shrugged out of her own jacket, draping it over a chair. "Not that there's much to see around here, but..." he led her through the living room, through the kitchen, and into his open study, which, to a normal person would be the living room (you know, instead of the first living room at the door, which would be the dining room). In his huge study was a computer surrounded by piles upon piles of papers and important documents. On the top shelf of his computer desk was a large assortment of computer programs and music CDs. On either side of the computer desk were shelves packed with books. On the floor were bags of crumpled papers, books, and scattered (important) papers that fell from the stacks above.

"Sorry for the mess. I assure you, though, that I know where everything is." Deidara said as they stopped to marvel the heap of papers and literature. To prove his statement, he began naming the things in the room, starting with what was behind them.

"That's an easel;" he began, pointing at an unfinished painting of a sunset. "In my spare time, I like to paint. However, spare time has become an endangered species in this house." he sighed, disappointed. "When did you start that painting, Deidara-sensei?" Hinata asked. "Uh... Let's see... a year ago?" he shrugged, moving on to the bookshelves.

"It may not look it, but those books are actually arranged very carefully. I did my research, and I organized them exactly like this; My favorite book's author's son's middle name in alphabetical order." Hinata stared at him, confused. "Er... Like, I arrange it by favorite book first, then it decends by the author's son's middle name. Alphabetically. Get it?" he smiled. Hinata nodded slowly, not getting it at all.

"That's the computer, which _should_have a keyboard, and on top of that shelf are my CD's, organized from frequently used to... well, not frequently used." He chuckled, gesturing to the second book shelf. "Now, this shelf is organized as follows: Author's wives' maiden names." Hinata cleared her throat. "Why do you arrange your books in such a confusing manner?" she asked. "You know, in case I have to hide something in a book. If someone wants to find something, they'll have to search the entire shelf before finding it, which, I hope, they give up on doing before they find it." He left the open study and led her into the hallway. "This is the bathroom." He nodded to a door on their left. "This is a closet, this is an extra room, this is another extra room, and another one..." They had reached the end of the hall, where all the bedrooms were for guests. "But where do _you_sleep?" Hinata asked.

At this, Deidara smiled proudly. He led Hinata down a flight of stairs, into a dark basement. With one flick of a light, the entire room lit up. He had two different beds, a water bed and a normal mattress. In the corner he had a couch and a television hanging from the ceiling. Behind the staircase he had an entire wall covered in random posters and on a desk he had a collection of random things. Completely random things. (As in, he had empty coke bottles and a giant Lego piece).

Music suddenly started to play. Hinata looked at Deidara, who had a stereo's remote control in his hand. "This is my room." he let her walk around as he set up a place for them to sit on the bed. She was toying with the stereo, looking at what music he had. After a few songs, she found one she liked and joined Deidara on the bed. "Why do you have two beds?" she asked. "Sometimes Sasori doesn't have a place to stay, so I keep a place for him here in my room. He gets the normal bed, of course." he played with one of his throw pillows absently. They were silent for a few minutes, letting the music echo in the room. Deidara started to hum the tune, then started singing it. Hinata smiled as if she were holding back a laugh. He winked at her, getting off the bed and gesturing to her dramatically.

_What A Beautiful smile  
__Can It stay for a while?  
__On this beautiful night  
__We'll make everything right  
__My beautiful Love  
__My beautiful Love_

He was singing 'Beautiful Love' by The Afters. To her.

_Larger than the moon, my love for you  
__Worlds collide, as heaven pulls us through  
__The secret of the world is written in the stars  
__I'm carrying your heart in mine..._

He pulled her up and twirled around the room, just like in the classroom. As the song ended, he held her close in a hug. For a moment, all their problems melted away. "My beautiful love." He sighed, kissing her. They stayed like that for a while, before Hinata pulled away. "I love you, Hinata." He sighed, grinning. She hugged him tighter.

"I love you too, Deidara-sensei."

-:-

A month passed, and the two had become very loose on hiding their relationship. Sometimes Deidara would purposefully bump into Hinata in the hallways, sometimes they'd hold hands on campus, and most times Hinata would have lunch with Deidara in the classroom. Once they even kissed behind the school when they thought no one else was looking.

But they were wrong.

Another teacher, Itachi, always caught them. He'd be in the hallway where they bumped, he'd watched them hold hands across the sidewalk, and he'd see them having lunch in the classroom. But when he saw the kiss, he'd had enough. He'd had enough of seeing him and her and them _together._

You see, Itachi actually had a sort of attraction to the girl, Hinata. It began after Deidara fell in love with her, when they were talking about their past relationships. Deidara began describing Hinata without mentioning her name, but he knew who he was talking about. As he listened, he started to see what Deidara saw in her. He didn't like to admit it, but he fell in love with her. And he absolutely hated the fact that she was going out with Deidara.

So, tired of seeing them happy together, he walked straight to the Principal's office after seeing them kiss. It was a long walk, which gave him more time to think. _If I tell the principal that Deidara is having relations with a student, he'll get fired. If he gets fired, they'll be separated. If they get separated, she'll be sad. _he paused. _When she's sad, i can comfort her. And she'll fall in love with me. And that'll be that._ He opened the door to the principal's office. He was sitting at his desk, looking at some important documents for the school.

"How can I help you, Itachi-sensei?"

"I have to tell you something. It's about Deidara-sensei." Itachi took a deep breath. _Maybe I'll tell him about Sasori's age as well. Just to get more competition out of the way._"...And Sasori-sensei."

-:-

Deidara and Sasori glanced nervously at each other as they walked down the hall towards the Principal's office. They knew what was coming, even though it had been a month since they started anticipating this dreadful event. Well, no matter how long they waited, the moment had come, and they had to face it like men.

They sat in the two chairs in front of the desk, waiting for the principal to turn their way. He did, after a few minutes, delivering a glare that pierced through their entire act as grown-ups. "Deidara-sensei, Sasori-sensei." he greeted flatly. They nodded in return. "A faithful employee of mine has informed me of a certain problem involving two young teachers." He paused to observe their reactions.

_Itachi._Deidara and Sasori thought.

"I will start by addressing the less serious problem, which is your age." Sasori winced. "Now, I have only been told of Sasori's age, but I am beginning to suspect you as well, Deidara-sensei." He glanced at the both of them. "I have been told that you, Sasori, are very young. Much too young to be handling a teaching, let alone students your age." The principal scratched his head, still trying to comprehend that they were teenagers still. They acted so much older. "You're eighteen, correct?" He asked to confirm. Sasori slowly nodded, feeling the guilt that most teenagers have when they've done something wrong. He looked down, ashamed. Deidara gave him a sympathetic look.

"Now, Deidara-_sensei,_" he said, suspicion dripping from the suffix. "I will not question your age - though the answer looks quite obvious - my faithful employee has said that you've been dating a student here." He glared at Deidara, who was brave enough to stare right back. "I don't care how old you are; Teachers are absolutely _forbidden_to date students." Deidara grimaced. There it was again, that stupid restriction. The same thing that made Hinata resist him in the first place. He bit his lip.

"Furthermore," he continued. "Teachers are not allowed to be under the ages of 25." Sasori and Deidara braced themselves for the predicted final words.

"Due to lying about your age and having inappropriate relations with a student," _Inappropriate. That's a new word for it._Deidara thought bitterly. "I am relieving you two of your jobs as teachers. You're fired."

Sasori abruptly stood up and left the room, unable to take the pressure and guilt he felt. Deidara stayed where he was.

"Please pass on to Sasori that he has one more day to pack his things. As for you..." The principal looked Deidara up and down. "How old _are_you, Deidara?" he asked. "Nineteen, sir." Deidara gulped. He wanted so much to just run out of that room and scream his lungs out. But he couldn't. He made this choice long ago. "Nineteen..." The principal sighed in a disappointed tone. "So young, so young." he muttered. After a beat, the principal continued. "You, too, Deidara, have a day to pack your things. And..." he trailed off, giving Deidara a look. When it hit him, Deidara mentally shook his head. _Anything but that!_"You have to break up with your student girlfriend." Deidara shifted uneasily in his seat, hiding his intense frown with his fist. With his other hand, he gripped the arm rest, trying his best to hide his extreme discomfort. The principal frowned. "You may go."

Deidara immediately stood up, shoving the chair out of his way as he left the room. The door slammed closed, and the principal jumped in surprise.

Sasori was sitting in the waiting room outside the office, his head in his hands. Deidara stomped out, plopping himself down next to him. Sasori quickly wiped his tears - apparently he had been crying - and looked at him. "What now?" he asked in a cracked voice. Deidara patted Sasori's shoulder. "It's not the end of the world." he said quietly. He was still a bit angry from a few minutes ago.

"But it could be the end of mine."

-:-

Meaning, 'The world may not be ending, but my world might.'

OH GAH.


	7. Chapter 7

_He seems kinda down today._Hinata thought, peeking at him over the top of her textbook. She studied him carefully as everyone read. He was following in the book for a few minutes before sighing and putting the book down. He propped his head up and stared into space as the last paragraph was being read. When the last reader finished, all the students looked to him for their next assignment. He stared back at each one of them.

"Can I tell you guys something?" he asked, depression leaking in his voice. The students slowly nodded, confused. "I got fired." There were gasps around the room, and girls began to cry. Deidara laughed a bit, though Hinata felt that it was fake. "Aw, you guys. Don't cry over me!" He waved a hand dismissively in the air. "But Sasori-sensei's getting fired too! What's up with that!?" Someone yelled, which made the sobs all the more louder. "Calm yourselves, that's not the end. I have more things to say."

Hinata stared at him, shocked. She didn't even cry. _Sasori-sensei, too?_

"You guys have been the best class I've ever had." he began. "Which is why I'm going to be completely honest with you guys." He paused, staring down at the floor and thinking about what he was going to say. "I'm Nineteen." The sobbing immediately stopped, replaced with a hushed sound of shock. "Which explains my appearance. Sasori-sensei's eighteen, even younger than I am." The students silently listened. "I won't tell you my life story, but my age is the main reason I got fired." Deidara looked up and stared at Hinata, telling her that his age wasn't the only reason."I can give you guys my email address, in case you want to contact me." he wrote his email address on the board. Mostly everyone wrote it down, and then the school bell rang. Hinata stayed in her seat while everyone else lined up to give Deidara a hug. When they all left, and when it was all silent, she walked up to him.

"Fired?" She whispered, placing a hand on his chest. He held it there and nodded. "Did... Did Itachi-sensei...?" her other hand clenched into a fist; angry. "We think so." he let her go and began packing his things. All of his things, this time. Hinata kept following him with her eyes until he looked at her again. "What did the principal say?" Deidara winced. She was just too good at this. "Hinata..." he trailed off. Hinata took his hand, stopping him from stuffing a stress ball into his box. "Deidara-sensei." She said, her voice shaky. Her lip trembled, along with the rest of her body. Her grip was tight on his arm, yet she looked like she was about to fall. He pulled her into a hug, stroking her back soothingly.

"He knew we were going out. He told the principal about Sasori's age too, the bastard." Deidara muttered, kissing Hinata to stop her trembling. "What did the principal say to you?" She asked again when she realized he didn't answer it at first. He held his breath, then let it go. "He... told me to break up with you before I left." He felt Hinata flinch, and he held her tighter. "But... I can't bring myself to do that." He pushed her away so that she could look at him. "This is going to sound _really_cheezy." He warned to make her laugh a bit. Then he went on with the serious matters.

"Hinata Hyuga, I've never loved a woman as much as I love you. You've taught me to love like I've taught you to write. To me, you are the most important person in my life." he caressed her face and kissed her forehead. "I won't ever break up with you, even when I leave you here today." At this, she began to cry. He held her close so that she could cry into his shoulder. "Even if you get married, I'll still be your boyfriend. That's how much I love you." he swayed from side to side to comfort her. "Don't cry. We still have friends here; Hidan-sensei can be your teacher friend if you really need one." he joked, kissing her head. He let her go to continue packing his things. "But... Don't hang around Itachi. At all." He said sternly. Hinata nodded, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"After this, we might not see each other every day. But Sasori and I will still be in town. I'll be at my house still, and Sasori will probably be there, too." He gave her the address, since all the times she's been to his house he led the way. "Drop by any time. Even in the middle of the night, We'll be there." he assured her. He plopped the box on his desk, turning slightly to see if she was coming along okay. She walked up and kissed him - for the first time of her own accord. He smiled, hugging her.

"I love you, Hinata. Don't ever forget that." he said, tapping her nose. She giggled. "I love you too, Deidara-sensei." she whispered. He chuckled. "I'm not your sensei anymore, kiddo." he winked.

Outside in the schoolyard, stood Itachi, who witnessed this through the classroom window.

-:-

Hidan was the school's councilor. Though he was rather... vulgar... he was a big help to the students. He related to them very well, having had a trecherous childhood (no exaggeration).

Hidan had been through the absolute worst; the kind you hear on the news or in teen novels. His parents divorced before he was even _born_, and when his mother remarried, his extremely rich father beat him every day with a jewel studded belt. At 7 he was smoking pot and was the leader of 'some stupid gang' as he called it. His gang often hung around the back of their school or the back of the mall, smoking, drinking, and everything else we aren't supposed to do. When he entered high school, he met the girl of his dreams. He dumped all his habits in an instant, seeing that she was one of the clean, more intelligent people. However, in his strive to make the girl like him, he just humiliated himself with all his crazy ideas and stayed single for the rest of his high school life. In college, he tried smoking pot again, only to get bored of it. Then, in a sort of lifetime epiphany, his entire life flashed before his eyes and he decided to become a high school councilor.

Of the many habits he quit in high school, cursing wasn't one of them. It violated policy, but he had cheered up so many depressed students, the school board turned a blind eye.

Hidan had a temper shorter than this sentence.

The things he heard from students angered him so much, he'd run into a fit of curses, sometimes tying in his made-up religion, Jashinism. Then, after ten minutes, he'd tell the person about an experience he had that related to the person, and always told them, "If you want to be like me, let it go. But if you don't, fight back." This served as a tear-jerker in even the toughest students who never cried. It was so inspirational, that the subject _had_to change. If they didn't, Hidan would curse at them some more until they came to a decision, good or bad.

So, upon hearing Hidan-sensei's past and present, I'm sure you're wondering how he ties in with our story of a high school romance disguised as a teacher/student story.

Well, yes, Deidara _did _mention Hidan-sensei in being Hinata's new teacher friend, but I thought that was just a joke!

A joke? Are _you_ joking? He was dead serious.

Hinata timidly knocked on the last door of the last hallway of the school's last wing (as in, the wing that was built last). There was a sudden booming noise, and when Hinata really listened, she realized it was Hidan-sensei screaming his brains out at some kid who did pot.

"Pot? POT!? Here, gimme what you got!" Hidan held his hand out expectantly. The kid, scared shitless, handed him a joint. Hidan lit it and inhaled it expertly, then throwing the joint into the garbage can, still lit. "This shit doesn't even compare to the stuff we had in my day. We were so high, someone reported me walking mid-air! Get this shit out of my sight, or I'll beat the fuck outta ya!" Hidan waved his fist in the air, and the kid scrambled out of the room. Hinata watched him leave, and she could have sworn that he had a smile on his face.

"Come in!" Hinata was still staring in wonder at the boy running down the hall. And even if she weren't, the tone of Hidan-sensei's voice changed so suddenly she didn't think it was him calling her in.

"Hello?" Hinata jumped when she felt him behind her. "Are you next? Come on in!" He smiled at her and invited her into the room. Hinata sat down on the couch as he took a bucket of water and poured it into the garbage can, drowning out both the scent and the joint. "So, what's up? Pregnant? STD? Your best friend back-stab you and is now spreading rumors about you being pregnant and having an STD?" he sat down in front of her. Hinata blinked, registering the information. "W-Well, no... none of that." she adjusted herself in her seat. "D-Deidara-sensei sent me to you." she said awkwardly. Hidan stared at her intently as he tried thinking of her name.

"Ah! Hinata Hyuga, right?" Before she could answer, he went on. "Haha, Deidara. Nineteen, can you believe that? Lucky guy, dating you." He laughed, tilting a finger at her teasingly. "So, what'd he tell you?" he silenced himself and looked at her. Hinata fidgeted. He was so straightforward. How did Deidara ever think this friendship would work? "He said... that you'd..." Hidan nodded for her to continue. "He said you'd be my friend." She said, blushing. Hidan paused, then smirked. "Really? Funny." He stood up and rubbed the back of his head. For a second, Hinata felt that he was saying no. But then he grinned at her.

"Sure. I'll be your friend. In fact, I'll be your best friend! Let's make up a secret handshake!" He held his hand out for her to shake. Right before she touched his hand, he snapped it away and pretended to slick his hair back. "You copy me." he said as he held out his other hand. He did the same thing before she touched it, and he began to sway to unheard music. Then he held both hands up for her to high-five, but she couldn't reach that high. He laughed, then lowered his hands. "We'll work on it. Why don't you come in tomorrow? Same time, same place, after that pot-kid?" He was already writing it down before she could refuse. Not that she minded... much. He was a little pushy, but she knew she could get used to it.

"Well, my shift's almost over, but if you wanted to talk about Deidara-sensei - er, not sensei - we can." He turned to her and smiled. Hinata smiled back, shaking her head. "I'm fine." she said. "Maybe next time." She started for the door, but Hidan stopped her.

"Oh, wait a minute. I forgot the most important thing!" He hopped over the couch and tipped over the garbage can full of water. "Shit! I mean, Hinata!" He shook his foot dry and stood next to her at the doorway. He held out his hand to her, and she looked up at him skeptically. "No joke." he said, gesturing Hinata to take his hand. She did, and he gave her a firm shake before letting go. "I'm Hidan! nice to meet you!" he smiled, and she couldn't help but smile again as well. "Nice to meet you, too, Hidan-sensei."

As she left, he shouted to her, "It's just 'Hidan' to you, missie!" as if it were a rule she just broke.

-:-

"So? Did you talk to Hidan-sensei?" Deidara asked as he rearranged a few posters on his wall. Hinata sat in a chair close by while Sasori fiddled with the stereo. "Yes..." she nodded, smiling a little. "He's very... um... interesting." she laughed awkwardly. Deidara laughed as well. "Yup. Can't go through one session without cursing. Tell me, did he swear while talking to you?" Hinata thought for a little, then remembered how he tripped over that garbage can. "I-I guess he did. He tripped over a trash can and said... yeah." Deidara hopped down from the small ladder and stood in front of her. "So what do you think? Odd, I admit, but very friendly." Hinata nodded in agreement.

They talked a little more about Hidan, about working on a handshake and the kid smoking pot and his past... Somewhere in the middle of that Sasori left the room for a little bit to hang around upstairs, leaving the two alone. "Deidara-sensei...?" Hinata began after a short silence. "Yes?" He turned down the stereo. Hinata held her arms open, expecting a hug. He wrapped his arm around her and kissed her head. "What will you do, now that you have no job?" she sounded very worried, and in truth he had no answer that could reassure her. So he distracted her with a kiss and said, "I'll think of something. Don't worry." He pulled her down to lay on the bed. "Are you missing me? It's only been a couple of hours, sure, but are you?" he asked, absently stroking her hair. Hinata snuggled up beside him. "You know I do."

Deidara smiled. "I'm going to miss seeing you every day." Hinata smiled and shook her head against his chest. "You're going to make me cry, Deidara-sensei." she wiped her tears on his shoulder. "Then cry, my sweet, for your tears are the drops of life that keep my thirst for it quenched." He said poetically. Hinata laughed, and a couple tears spilled out. He kissed the trail the tear left on her cheek, making her blush.

"I'll do everything I can to stay near you, Hinata." He whispered. "Don't make this sound like a good-bye, Deidara-sensei. Please." She giggled, still thinking they were joking around.

_But now I can't be sure... if this is good-bye or not._

-:-

Itachi stared at Hinata through the remainder of the class. Hinata knew, for many times during the class their eyes met. It scared her how, even though he was caught staring at her, he didn't turn away. It scared her even more when he asked her to stay after class.

"Y-Yes...?" Hinata made sure to stay away from him and his desk. However, the effort seemed futile when he stood up and began pacing around the room. "Hinata Hyuga." he said her name softly, in that deep soothing voice of his. "You are a very good student - one of my best." he glanced at her. "I'm sure you know that it was I who saved you from the clutches of your... boyfriend. Deidara-sensei." Hinata bit her lip. _Saved me?_

He stopped at the corner of his desk, closest to her. "He was so young... completely unable to take care of you in this world." he shook his head shamefully. Hinata stepped to her side, and Itachi grabbed her by the elbow and pulled her to him. "But I am more capable than he." his eyes pierced through her, making her legs give way. Itachi caught her, pressing her against his broad chest. "I can take much better care of you. I did what I did because I wanted - want - what's best for you." Hinata, utterly frightened, desparately tried to push him away, but to no avail. If anything, he pulled her closer. She felt his breath on her ear. "Please... I-Itachi-sensei..." His lips brushed against her cheek. "What's best for you," he repeated. "...Is me."

Hinata finally found the strength to shove him away. "Itachi-sensei!" she squeaked, panting hard from her beating heart. "Hinata, my dear, please forgive me. You have not yet developed your feelings for me. I shall wait, for as long as I have to." He placed a fist over his heart, making Hinata's face contort with disgust. "Feelings? For _you?" _She scoffed, storming out of the room. She felt tears burning at the edges of her eyes, and before she knew it, she was standing in front of Hidan's office.

She desparately knocked on the door, her tears forming inaudible sobs. Hidan hurried to open the door. "Hinata? What's up?" But before they could step into the room, she collapsed in his arms, crying her eyes out.

-:-

Ooh! Itachi! -anger-


	8. Chapter 8

"So, for our handshake, I was thinking of something like..." Hidan held out his hand for Hinata to take, but she was making her hands busy wiping the tears from her eyes. He glanced at her with a sympathetic look, resting his hand on his lap. "Hinata..." He scratched his head and looked at the door, where another student was waiting. "Look, Hinata, why don't you freshen up in the bathroom for a little bit?" He pulled her up to her feet and led her to the door. The other student walked in and sat on the couch. Hidan stepped out of the room with Hinata, closing the door behind them.

She began crying openly, which confused him. Usually students would cry in the room, where it was more private. Hidan placed a hand on her shoulder. "I-I'm sorry." She sputtered, wiping her eyes with her palms "I-It's just..." She was interrupted by another wave of sobbing. Hidan pulled her into a short hug. "Go fix yourself in the bathroom, okay? You can spend the rest of the day with me afterwards." Hinata nodded, whispering a short thank you before walking away. Hidan waited until she was out of sight before walking back into his office.

-:-

Deidara sighed, slamming the newspaper down on the breakfast table. Sasori looked up from his copy of the same newspaper, confused.

"We're not getting anywhere, Sasori." Deidara groaned, resting his chin on his arms. Sasori shrugged, looking over the job pages of the paper. "We should keep trying. One more week, okay?" he said reassuringly. "I mean, you have a girl to be there for." He glanced at Deidara, catching the distant look in his eye.

"If we don't find a job soon, we'll have to move. Far away, where we can start over again." Deidara looked up at Sasori, who turned a page in his paper. "We'll find one, don't worry."

They continued their breakfast/lunch/brunch, reading their newspapers and, for Deidara, worried about Hinata.

-:-

Hinata came back from the bathroom just in time for the girl to leave. She sat down in front of Hidan on the couch, looking a little better, but not completely. Hidan studied her for a little bit, reading her like an open book.

"Was it Itachi-sensei?" he asked. She shuddered, rubbing a hand up her arm. "Y-Yes." she answered timidly. Hidan nodded. "What did he do?" at this, Hinata began tearing up again. She began to explain how Itachi stared at her all through class, called her to his desk after, and how he talked bad about Deidara, and how he 'saved her' from his 'clutches' and said that what was best for her was himself, which she didn't exactly agree on.

"And he started hugging me, and breathing on me, and kissed my cheek..." She brought her hand up to touch her cheek, blushing pink. "I was scared, Hidan-sensei, so scared..." Hidan stood up, sat next to her, and pulled her into a hug. "Itachi-sensei is a very dangerous man. Maybe you should ask for a class transfer. i can arrange something for you, if you like." Hinata smiled. That sounded like a good idea. "Would you? Please? That would be the best, Hidan-sensei!" she said excitedly. Hidan patted her head. "Of course, my dear. What're best friends for?" he chuckled, letting Hinata go.

As Hinata left the room, Hidan called Deidara on his cell phone.

_"Hello?_

"Deidara. I just talked to Hinata."

_"Oh, really? What'd she say?"_

"... She was crying."

_"...Why?"_

"Itachi."

Hidan heard Deidara's breath hitch in anger. Despite this, he began to relay everything Hinata told him. When he finished, Deidara growled, "I'll kill him." Hidan began drawing circles with triangles in them on a piece of scratch paper (or an important school paper; he could never tell the difference). "Well, if you actually decide to do it, make it quick. I feel that Itachi's planning something." Hidan glanced at the door, then gasped. Itachi was standing there at the door, his eyes suddenly red. "Holy shit." he sighed. Itachi let himself into the room.

_"Hidan? Hidan!? What? What happened?"_

"So, what time? 8:30? Okay. See you at dinner then, sweet cheeks." Hidan clicked his tongue and hung up the phone.

_"Sweet cheeks? What the fu-"_

Hidan glanced at Itachi uneasily.

"Is Hinata-san alright, Hidan-sensei?" he asked in that suave voice of his. Hidan kept his cool. "She'll be alright. Why?" Itachi stood up and began walking around the room. "Oh, just worried. She is my top student, you know." he stopped at the desk. "Why was she crying?" Hidan paused. "Just the usual teenage trouble. Someone talking behind someone's back, sadness, hate, the usual teenager stuff." Itachi held a look of fake surprise. "My goodness. Who could do such a thing to my poor, sweet, Hinata?" he gazed distantly out the window. Hidan's eyes narrowed. "I heard it was that Sakura girl, but I'm sure they'll apologize." Itachi nodded, suddenly glaring into Hidan's eyes.

"I suppose I'll take my leave now. Thank you for your time, Hidan-sensei." Itachi began walking for the door, but Hidan grabbed his arm. "Hey. If you're planning anything to hurt Hinata, I'll kill you." he hissed through grit teeth. Itachi gave him a haughty look. "_Hurt _her? Why, I'd never..." He leaned close to Hidan's face. "It isn't her you should be worrying about. Cretin." Hidan held back his fist, keeping it glued to his side. "Watch yourself." Itachi said before disappearing behind the door.

-:-

"Sweet cheeks? Ugh, whatever, Hidan." Deidara closed his phone, throwing it on his desk and running a hand through his hair.

"I hope Hinata's okay. She's a good girl." Sasori said, looking up from another newspaper. Deidara nodded in agreement. "I wonder what happened. To Hidan, I mean." he slid on his jacket and headed for the door. "I'm going for a walk." he said as he walked out.

_This is terrible._Deidara tilted his head downward, deep in thought the second his foot hit the sidewalk. _We're getting nowhere with job department. We're running out of money, fast. We're so close to red on our bills, we're orange, I bet. I mean, if bills were ranked by rainbow. _He shook his head. _If we don't find a job by tomorrow, we'll have to move. Far._

Deidara was already heading back to the house. He hoped Sasori had something, even paper boys, or janitors. But, as it happened, Sasori had no such thing. In fact, he already had some of his stuff packed.

"No optimism today, Sasori?" Deidara joked, sliding off his jacket and closing the door. Sasori shrugged, kicking scattered newspapers on the floor up into the air. "Nothing. We can't even fake our ages to any jobs in the area because our story spread. Jackholes." he muttered, annoyed. "Well, I'd better get packing. I got a lot to pack." Deidara rolled up his sleeves and headed down to the basement.

He looked around his room for the last time. His posters needed to be taken down and rolled up into containers he didn't have yet, and his collection of random things should be put in a special box he had yet to acquire. Seeing how hopeless it was to start big, he started small, with the small desk he had that held a few papers from school. He took a recycling box and sorted through the papers, deciding if it were garbage or important. Among these papers (most of which were recycled), he found something with Hinata's name on it.

_You kissed me last night._

He smiled a little.

_Why, yes, I did._

_Why?_

_Because. _

He read all the way to the end, not believing how flirtatious he was back then. He almost blushed from embarrassment.

_I think it means... I love you too._

He read that sentence over and over, his heart sinking a bit. What would he do about Hinata? He couldn't leave her - impossible. But what choice did he have?

Sighing, he folded the paper into fourths, tucking it into his breast pocket. _I love you, Hinata._he patted his pocket and continued sorting through the papers. He saved all the papers Hinata had written, and some of the ones he thought were good from other students. The rest he recycled, and pretty soon the desk was clean.

The rest of the day continued like this, until Deidara got a phone call from Hidan.

-:-

At school, everyone was getting ready for the big Senior Prom. Posters and streamers decorated the halls, guys were asking girls out and vice versa, everyone was in a happy and festive mood.

Except for Hinata.

Which was only natural, really. With all that happened to her, it'd be a surprise if she _were_happy. Even Hidan, who usually could, couldn't cheer her up. What was she depressed about? Not because her young teacher love got fired and she can't see him every day, and not because her older math teacher is after her, but because she knew that she couldn't go to prom with some other boy. She refused every boy who asked her, and planned to do so until the entire prom was over, despite that it made her feel depressed.

Hidan's conclusion: Girls are weird.

But Hidan was nothing, if not a gentleman. He took the liberty of calling Deidara and inviting him to the prom. It was a little weird at first, what with the 'Sweet Cheeks' incident hanging in the air, but when he explained himself, Deidara agreed. However, Deidara also had something to tell Hidan, that Hinata didn't need to know. Yet.

"You're leaving? When?"

_"When we're done packing. Which, hopefully, will be the day after the prom. I'll say good bye to her then." _

"... Okay." Hidan felt uneasy. If Deidara left, Hinata would be in more danger of Itachi than before. And he knew that with Deidara gone, Itach would have more of a chance at getting Hinata.

_"Hidan."_

"Huh?"

_"Take care of her. Please."_Deidara's voice suddenly sounded weak. Pleading. _"Right now she's probably scared, alone, sad. All because I'm not there with her. But now I'm going to be gone, and..."_There was a pause. Hidan heard a sound so soft he thought he imagined it, but he trusted his hearing enough to know what he heard. A sob. _"She needs someone there for her. I can't be that someone anymore. Please, Hidan, please..." _There was another unmistakable sob, and then another. "Deidara. It's okay. She'll be fine with me. Just come to the prom and dance with her. She'd love that." Deidara calmed down enough to reply. _"Thank you, Hidan."_Hidan chuckled. "So I'll see you Friday. Bye, Deidara."

_"Yeah. Bye, Hidan. Thanks."_

Hidan understood that Deidara was in between a rock and a hard place.

-:-

Hinata, with Hidan as her escort, went to prom riding a limo, like every couple should. She sat quietly, staring down at the floor while Hidan stared at her. He resisted the urge to cheer her up with the surprise he planned. But Hidan was nothing, if not dedicated.

"So... Are you excited for prom?" he asked, playing with his thumbs politely. Hinata nodded, implying the exact opposite of her answer. "You know, this is technically my first prom ever. I didn't go to the one at my high school." He looked at her. She seemed interested, so he continued. "When I was your age, I liked this girl. But she didn't like me, and I got depressed and skipped all dances, proms, and other social activities." She glanced at him, the smallest hint of a smile on her face. "Do you find this funny? My anti-social-ness in high school amuses you?" he poked her cheek, and she let out a giggle. He laughed a little as well. "And you know what? I feel like one of the luckiest guys on earth, taking you to prom." He pulled her into a quick hug. "One of them?" She questioned, looking at him. "Well, there's another guy who's lucky to have you." he winked at her, and she blushed a bit.

They were nearing the school, the road vibrating with the music. "Were your parents iffy about letting you go to prom with me?" He asked as they stepped out of the limo. Hinata shrugged. "I doubt they could tell how old you were. I mean, I know you're not Nineteen, but you don't look Thirty-four." they walked side by side, since as teacher and student, they couldn't hold hands. But mentally, they were.

When they entered, Hinata was greeted by her friends, Sakura and Ino.

"Hinata! We didn't think you'd come! You look great!" Sakura pulled her gently onto the dance floor. Hinata glanced at Hidan, who nodded and winked at her. _Have fun. _She smiled at him and followed Sakura onto the dance floor. Within an hour, she had danced with four different guys. Shikamaru Nara, who Ino, (Besides Hidan-sensei) had the biggest crush on. Shino Aburame, who Hinata recognized to be in most of her classes, Kiba, likewise, and Naruto, whose eyes reminded her so much of Deidara. She and her friends were very tired after that, and decided to sit at a table to rest a bit. Ino managed to drag Shikamaru with her to the table.

"So, Hinata, spill! Why were you with Hidan-sensei?" Sakura asked, fanning herself with her hand. Hinata blushed, glancing at Hidan, who was flirting with a few girls he knew had a crush on him. She rolled her eyes, and her blush disappeared. "Why? He escorted me here by limo because he felt bad that I wasn't going." Only part of that was a lie. "Sure." Ino said, hugging Shikamaru's elbow tighter to her. "It's true! If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be here!" She defended. "Hm... I suppose that's believable. Agreed, Sakura?" Ino looked to Sakura, who nodded reluctantly. "For now, I suppose."

Hidan walked toward the girls' (and one boy's) table, bumping Hinata with his hip. "Hey, girly girl. Can I borrow you for a while?" he asked casually. He winked at Ino, who was staring at him. She turned pink, to the dismay of Shikamary (poor guy). "Uh... S-Sure." Hinata stood up and gave her friends a look that said, _Don't get any ideas. _The second she was out of earshot, Sakura and Ino leaned over the table to discuss the ideas Hinata told them not to have about her and Hidan.

"Where are we going, Hidan-sensei?" Hinata asked when they started heading to the yard behind the school. "I've got a surprise for you! I just know you'll love it, because you do!" When they got close to the door, Hidan covered her eyes and led her outside. "Let's dance for a little. But keep your eyes closed, okay?" Hinata nodded, following the steps Hidan was taking in their dance. She leaned her head on his shoulder. "When can I open my eyes, Hidan-sensei?" she sighed. She felt him kiss her head, and she pushed him away.

"Hidan-sensei!" she shrieked, opening her eyes. Then she gasped. She blushed, covering her open mouth with her hand.

Deidara smiled at her, his arms wide open. "I've missed you, Hinata." he said softly. "D-Dei... Dei...!" Unable to say his name, she ran into his open arms, tears falling out of her eyes. "Hinata..." He sighed her name, his lips pressed against her head. "Oh, Deidara-sensei..." Hinata laughed a little, drying her tears on his blazer. They danced a bit, just swaying from side to side to a rhythm of their own. When the vibrating of the music stopped to allow a new song to begin, they kissed.

Deidara glanced at Hidan, who only smiled at them. Deidara frowned a little, holding Hinata tightly.

"Hinata, I need to tell you something." he said, giving Hidan a look. He took the hint, a serious expression on his face. Hinata noticed this, and the feeling of worry shone on her face.

"Me and Sasori are leaving." Hinata recoiled as if she were hit by a bullet. Deidara closed his eyes, gripping Hinata tightly. She was already trembling. "We can't find jobs here. We have to move to a place where no one knows who we are." He bit his lip as Hinata tightly held his arms. "Y-You're going... far away?" she mumbled, her tears turning into ones of sadness. "Yes... Far away." He held her close, even though she was trying to push him away. "No! Don't! Stay here!" She pleaded, giving up and wrapping her arms around him tightly. "We might not see each other again." He whispered, making her throw more of a tantrum. "No!, Deidara-sensei, please! Stay!" she begged. Hidan was beside them, ready to hold Hinata when he had to leave.

"Hinata, please. I love you. This'll be better for both of us." he said. "How? Tell me, how!" She sobbed, holding him tightly and crying against his shoulder. "How far can you go, living in a world where your husband is a criminal who lies about his age? I have to find a world where I'm not who they think I am here. Otherwise we both can't get anywhere. And that's the last thing I want to do - hold you back." Hinata loosened her grip on him, but still held on. "Then take me with you. Please! I've only been away from you for a week, and I'm already falling apart at the seams! How long can I last in a world without you in it?" Deidara gave her one last kiss. "You can. You will." he assured, holding her face in his. "I'll never love anyone else. I promise." he held her one last time. "Deidara-sensei..."

"I'm not your sensei anymore."

He thrust her into Hidan's arms and ran.

Far away.

-:-

;^;


	9. Chapter 9

Deidara kept running down the sidewalk, even though he passed the car they were driving out of town. Sasori followed him slowly on the road, letting Deidara run to his heart's content. Sasori rolled down the window. "What happened?" he called out. "I told her we were leaving! And I said the worst thing to her before I ran! I'm awful!" Deidara scolded himself, not letting himself slow down. "What did you say?" Sasori asked. "I told her I wasn't her sensei anymore! Who the hell says that to the person they love? I fail at being a boyfriend!" Deidara clenched his fists, speeding up and exerting himself to his limits. "You should stop running, or you'll die." Sasori said casually. "It doesn't matter anymore! I left Hinata in the clutches of Itachi Uchiha! I _deserve_to die!" Deidara cried, tripping on a sudden lift in the sidewalk. The car stopped abruptly, and Sasori stepped out.

He walked to Deidara's side, watching as he beat himself up on the ground. "I... should've... been... there... I... should... BE... there...!!" he panted, making sure his face scraped against the pavement. He'd never felt like this before. He'd never felt so... empty. So guilty. "She needs me now the most, and I left her!" He shouted, almost letting a sob escape his lips. Sasori pulled him up and dragged him into the car. "You know we have to do this." he said. "If you get enough money, and grow up some, you'll see her again." Deidara stared blankly at him, something resembling a tear falling down his cheek. He felt so heartbroken over something he chose to do. "I'm going to miss her, Sasori. I love her." he mumbled as Sasori slid into the driver's seat. "I know, I'll miss her too. But we have to move on. We have to trust that Hidan will take care of her and that Itachi will lay off."

Deidara groaned and fell onto the back seat. His cheek stung where he let the pavement scratch it. "He's going to get her. I just know it. And it would be my fault, because I wasn't there to take care of her. It would be my fault!" Deidara pulled his hair in frustration. "Take care of her? Pshaw, Deidara. With the way we are now, we can barely take care of ourselves!" They drove out of the city limits, and Deidara stared at the headlights along the highway.

"If we come back, I'm killing Itachi."

-:-

Hidan took Hinata back to her house and followed her to her room. He helped her out of her jacket and get ready for bed. She was silent the entire time. So was he. He lay beside her over the covers, while she wrapped herself in the warm sheets.

"You know?" He started. She didn't reply, but he knew she was listening. "I have to be honest now. I'm not Thirty-four." Hinata scoffed. "What are you, then? Twelve?" He laughed. "You wish you met a twelve-year-old as sexy as me." she stifled a giggle. "I'm in my twenties. I think." Hinata turned to face him. "You think?" she repeated. "I stopped keeping track at twenty. I don't remember. How old do I look?" He poised his thumb and forefinger under his chin and smirked at her. She thought a moment. "Twenty-three?" She suggested. "Hmm... I don't quite feel 23. Try again." He tried another version of the pose, this time wiggling his eyebrows in a flirtatious motion. She almost laughed out loud. "25?" He smiled. "That's better, I guess." he tapped her nose.

After a couple minutes, she hugged him. He put a hand on the back of her head and pressed her against his shoulder. "Thank you, Hidan-sensei." she whispered. "What for?" he questioned, looking at the few posters in her room. "For cheering me up when I was down. It helps so much more than you realize." he smiled at this. "Well, that's what friends are for, right?" He rested his cheek on her head, closing his eyes. "I'm tired. Let's sleep." he yawned, bringing his other arm around her. She was already asleep. Despite being tired, he got up and walked around her room.

From the door to his left, there was an entire wall dedicated to posters, drawings, and random pictures and cards that she stuck on with tape. Then there was the closet which was wide open, revealing a drawer and on the hangers dresses and other formal clothing. Beside the closet was a door, which he was too curious to ignore. He tip-toed over to that corner, pretending to be interested in the vanity mirror's matching brush. You know, just in case someone was watching. Then he opened it, walked in, and closed the door behind him. It was dark at first, but as he walked down the stairs, lights flashed on. When he reached the bottom, he found a basement-like room that wasn't basement-like at all. It was kept very nicely, and along the side walls were ceiling-high bookshelves. At the center wall, or the one right in front of him, was a computer, a smaller bookshelf with little figurines on the top, and scattered around were piles of books and among them bean bag chairs for comfortable reading.

"Holy shit..." He whistled, then walked around the perimeter of the room. There were books that ranged from elementary to college level on both shelves. There were books in different languages and books imported from different countries. The collection was incredible. But among the dark, leather-bound books, there was one brightly colored spine on the very top shelf. Always curious, he climbed the roll ladder and took the book out , flipping through the pages lazily. Pretty soon he realized that it was a diary. He quickly closed it, slipping it back into place among the books. _That's not what best friends do. That's not what best friends do. That's not what friends-_

He spotted another brightly colored spine. Subconsciously, he slid down to where it was, reading the first entry. It was an earlier date than the previous diary. He kept looking at all the sporadically placed diaries, each one earlier and earlier in dates that he got to the very first volume by the door. _This... isn't what best friends... do..._ the thought perished the second he read the first word of the diary.

_Dear Diary,_

_It was my first day of high school. It's so crowded in the hallways! I got lost on the way to my locker, but this guy helped me. He said his brother worked at the school. I think his name was... Sasuke? He's a senior. I met some other people too, at lunch. Sakura, Ino, TenTen... mostly girls. The only guys I met were Sasuke and the guy friends of the girls I met. I can't believe I made such a big group of friends on the first day! _

_Our teachers are all so young-looking. It's a bit unsettling. I mean, at my middle school, the teachers were older. Here in high school, they look like students! Well, I'm not exactly complaining... but it's a little weird, don't you think? _

_Oh! And my last class is Language Arts. The teacher there is so... _sigh..._ The best teacher ever! But he gave us a 500 word essay that's due tomorrow! Oh well. I'm sure I can pull it off, I mean, it was free writing. _

_I'm tired. G'night!_

Hidan, realizing that he was still suspended on a ladder, he slid down and landed on a bean bag chair. He continued reading.

_Dear Diary_

_Deidara-sensei is my LA teacher. Did I mention that? _

_I wrote about what I was worried about in high school. When I handed it in, he smiled at me. I swear, I melted right where I was. He has such a handsome smile! My goodness, now I know why they keep teachers old and creepy. I'm going to be distracted for the rest of my high school career! Oh, you should have seen it, diary, he is so... I think I'm in love! Haha..._

Hidan skipped to the next entry.

_Deidara-sensei wrote a note on the side of my paper._

_'Hinata - wonderful paper! I have to say, I went through the same thing while I was in HS. Scared me to death! I'm glad I'm not alone here, haha!'_

_I swear to god, he is AMAZING! _

Hidan chuckled. _Deidara was such a liar._ He skipped a few entries.

_I heard some yelling down the hall. Was it a teacher? I hope the kid's okay..._

He skipped another entry.

_Ino says that she has the biggest crush on Hidan-sensei. I'm not quite sure who he is, but she says he's our school's councilor. It's gotten a bit annoying, too. She talks about him all the time, and I haven't even met the guy! Gosh, what a pain..._

He smirked.

_Dear Diary..._

_I'm finding Deidara-sensei disturbingly attractive._

_Dear Diary, _

_I can't stop thinking about him._

__

_Dear Diary,_

_Dear Diary, _

_Dear Diary,_

_I think I love Deidara-sensei._

Hidan closed the diary, standing up to put it back. He noticed that the ladder was gone, so he looked around for it. It was somewhere on the other side of the wall, and on its rungs climbed the girl who was supposed to be sleeping upstairs. He quickly sat back down to hide himself and the diary, but he sat on a book and yelped out in pain. Hinata swerved around on the ladder in surprise, losing her balance on the ladder. "H-H-Hidan-sensei!?" she yelped, as tried grabbing for the ladder. Hidan ran to catch her, and right before she could smash her face into a Stephen King, she landed in his arms. He sat her down on one of the bean bag chairs and sat beside her, sighing.

"Are you okay?" he asked, checking her face and shoulders. She nodded shakily, blushing. "What are you doing here?" She whispered. "Why do you have that?" Hidan looked at her in confusion, then noticed her diary still clutched tightly in his fingers. "I-uh-I... Well, you see..." he stammered, fiddling with the cover. Hinata gave him a death stare. She grabbed it from him and stomped to put it back. He turned red in embarrassment.

"I thought you went home." she spat, walking back toward him. "No, I didn't. Sorry." He watched her pace around the room, checking to see if everything was still there. "Why would you go and read someone's diary? Have you no conscience!?" she yelled. Hidan stood up. "I'm sorry! Really!" Hinata faced away from him, wiping a tear from her eye. "How would you feel if someone read your journal?" Hidan huffed, angry, and stomped toward her. "I don't need to be lectured by someone younger than me, Hinata. Please remember that I am still your elder." he growled. Hinata turned to face him. "You were my friend first! And friends don't to that to friends!" She shouted, sobbing once. Hidan scoffed, crossing his arms and turning away from her. "You're just sour because Deidara's gone." he spat, walking a few steps away. Hinata stomped her foot on the floor. "Hidan-sensei! You're such an idiot!" She cried, shoving her most recent diary in his face. "Why don't you read the rest of my secrets, huh!?" she ran back up the stairs, crying.

"Maybe I will!" he yelled after her, throwing the diary on the ground. It opened to the most recent entry.

_Dear Diary,_

_I'm glad Hidan-sensei's my friend. I don't know what I'd do without him._

Hidan growled, guilty. "Fuck you, diary!" he kicked it at the wall and ran upstairs.

-:-

The next day, Hinata felt terrible.

She knew full well that Hidan was her elder, and that she shouldn't have yelled at him like that. Not only was he her elder, but he was her friend. And friends, despite what _she_ said, didn't yell at each other over a diary. That night, when he emerged from her secret library, she heard him mutter a small good night before leaving. Immediately after that, she couldn't sleep because of the guilt she felt.

So, she was guilty, sleep-deprived, and depressed. What more could a girl never want?

Hidan wasn't doing much better.

He knew full well that Hinata was only a student, that he shouldn't have forrced his elder authority upon her so abruptly in their friendship. Not only was she younger, but she was his friend. And friends, despite the constant thoughts he had that night, didn't read each other's diaries without permission. That night, when he left the secret library, he muttered a soft good night to try and get them on talking terms. It left him feeling even more guilty than before.

So, he was guilty, tired, and at threat of losing one of the only girl friends he had.

But, it was a Saturday, and neither of them had planned to meet that day. Not that they were incredibly busy, they were just too prideful to apologize to each other. This was their first ever friend fight, mind you. In a way, they were savoring it. But they wouldn't want to stay like this for long.

Without Hidan's friendly reassurance, Hinata felt even more unprotected than she was without Deidara. She constantly felt Itachi breathing down her back, ready to take her the minute her guard was down. She was scared without her friend to tell her it was okay, and that Itachi wasn't there.

Without Hinata's friendly presence, Hidan felt a bit more insecure than when he was in high school. He constantly heard his high school peers snickering and making fun of him, which didn't really bother him until now. He was uncomfortable without his friend to tell him they were wrong, and that she supported him all the way.

_Well, I did yell at him.  
Well, I did read her diary._

--

Hinata was walking home from school, alone, since she was still fighting with Hidan. She was on her way home, generally, but her conscience kept tugging her back to Hidan's office, where she knew he was yelling at that one kid who did Pot. But she kept going on, which was a big mistake.

Itachi followed her, every step.

However, he wasn't doing this because he was stalking her. Oh no. He thought about this, and thought hard. Beforehand, he called Hinata's parents, and told them that he would visit the house to discuss an important matter. He was going to discuss an arranged marriage with Hinata. With Deidara gone and Hidan away from her thanks to their quarrel, she was wide open for him to take. And take her, he would.

"Hinata." He greeted when they were at the front door. She froze on the porch, fear crawling all over her body. She slowly turned around to look at him. "I-Itachi-sensei," she stuttered. "Wh-Wha-What are you d-doing here?" He stepped toward her, and she stepped backwards, against the door. Eventually he pinned her against it, bringing his face close to hers. "I'm visiting your parents... to discuss... our marriage." he hissed out the _S_'s so that his breath would tickle her face. She shivered. "M-Marriage!?" She asked, confused. He kissed her cheek sweetly. "Oh, Hinata. Our love has not yet developed. Once we're married, it will all become clear." Hinata shook her head. "I-I don't love you, Itachi-sensei." she whispered, afraid he would hit her. He frowned. "That will change soon enough."

The front door opened, and Hinata's mother stepped out beside them. "Itachi-sensei! Welcome, welcome. Please have a seat in the living room." Hinata gave her a look. "Thank you, Mrs. Hyuga. Will you be joining us?" Itachi asked smoothly. "I will; I need to run a few errands, but I'll be back in a jiffy." She smiled at him, acknowledging Hinata with her attention after Itachi went inside.

Hinata burst out crying, falling into her mother's arms. "He wants to arrange a marriage with me! I don't love him in the slightest, no matter what he says, mother! I love Deidara-sensei!" She sobbed, clinging to her mother for dear life. Mrs. Hyuga stroked her daughter's hair in understanding. "I'm sorry, dear. But it's not my place to choose who you marry. It's your father's choice." she rocked her child back and forth soothingly. "I'm sure your father knows that you don't want to marry him." Putting her faith in her father was the last thing Hinata wanted to do.

At this point, it was hopeless. Itachi had won, and she lost both her love and her precious friend.

-:-

Hrmm...


	10. Chapter 10

Hinata sat beside Itachi on the couch, trying to shift away from him. Or at least scoot to the other side of the couch. She could do no such thing, so she just sat there.

"Mr. Hyuga, I am Itachi Uchiha, your daughter's Arithmetic teacher. She is a very good student, and I am in love with her." How could he say that without looking nervous? Mr. Hyuga nodded for him to continue, a suspicious look on his face. Hinata got her hopes up for a minute as Itachi explained himself. "I feel that I would be able to take care of your daughter better than a high school boy can. I have a stable job and a house that I live in with my brother. There is plenty of room for her to stay." Her father nodded, and any hope she might have had before vanished. Hinata was being set for life.

After a few minutes of interviewing, the dreaded words that Hinata and her mother didn't want to hear arrived.

"I approve."

--

After Itachi left, and Mr. Hyuga left for late-night work, Hinata sobbed and wailed into her mother's arms in her room.

"How could he do that, mother!? I hate him!" she cried.

"Come, now, Hinata. Your father didn't mean-"

"I mean Itachi-sensei!" Hinata sobbed. Awkwardly, Mrs. Hyuga patted her shoulder.

"I can't marry Itachi-sensei! I don't love him! And he's way older than me!"

Mrs. Hyuga cradled Hinata in her arms, hushing her as she cried. "It'll all turn out fine. I'll try and convince your father to call it off. Okay?" Hinata nodded. "Good. Now go to bed, get some rest."

When she left, instead of sleeping, Hinata snuck out of the house.

She needed Hidan now more than ever.

-:-

Hidan lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. His room was pitch black, except for the moonlight shining through the window. The frames on the window made an X on his face, and he turned away before he could make anything of it.

_You're a grown man,_ he thought to himself. _She shouldn't have any power over you or your conscience._ But deep down inside, he knew that friendship just didn't work that way.

Suddenly, he heard a desperate knocking on the door to his house. Surprised, he sat up in bed, waiting a bit before standing up and wandering into the hallway. The knocking stopped, and so did he. "Hidan-sensei, are you there? Please!" Hinata cried through the door. _How did she find out where I lived?_ he gave it some thought, and then he remembered that some days ago, he had given her his address. Just in case. For what, he didn't know. Probably for whatever it was that drove her to be outside his house at 11pm.

Hurriedly he opened the door, and Hinata rushed in, hugging him tightly. "I'm sorry, Hidan-sensei, so sorry. I shouldn't have - I didn't need to - I mean -" Hidan stopped her, awkwardly holding her closer to him. "It's okay. I'm just glad you're my friend again." he sighed with play relief. She laughed, but it choked on a sob that she had been holding back. He frowned. "What's up?" he asked, leading her to the couch and getting a glass of water.

"I'm getting married to Itachi-sensei." she said softly. Hidan sprayed water out of his mouth, shocked. "What are you talking about? How'd he pull that off!?" he asked, sitting beside Hinata on the couch. "He went to my house and arranged it himself! He actually said that he would take better care of me than anyone else. What the heck!" Hinata was more angry now, and her fists clenched. "I can name four other people who can take care of me just fine!" she huffed. "And who are those four?" Hidan inquired, leaning a bit to look at her. She turned pink and fumbled with her thumbs a bit. "Well, you, for one thing." she said shyly. He smiled. "Go on." Hinata smiled awkwardly back at him. "Deidara-sensei, Sasori-sensei, and of course my mother..." she looked as if she could name more, but didn't say anything. Hidan studied her for a minute. "You forgot someone." he tapped her nose lightly. "Yourself. There's no one out there who can know you better than yourself. You know what you want, and you can get it too, if you want." he winked at her and stood up.

"Oh, Hidan-sensei. What am I supposed to do? I'm marrying my MATH TEACHER!" she groaned and buried her head in her hands. Hidan scratched the back of his head. "I'm not..." he wasn't about to tell her that he didn't know what to do. "Is there any way to change Itachi-sensei's mind? Make him fall out of love with you?" he suggested, though the idea seemed a bit elementary to him. Hinata shrugged. "Maybe..." She thought about it. "...Maybe...!!" she had an idea, and she looked so proud about it, she hugged Hidan tightly. "That's it! Maybe I could... Yes, that's an excellent idea! Hidan-sensei, you're a genius!" she squealed, jumping up and down.

--

Itachi met Hinata at her house - just like she told him over the phone. She told him that they were going out to an expensive Italian restaurant and to dress nicely. When she stepped out of the house, she was wearing raggedy jeans and a shirt that she wore once while painting. He was wearing a suit. She smiled at him, linking her arm with his. "Let's go!" Hinata pulled him out of the front yard while he followed awkwardly behind. When she looked back at him, she was disappointed to see that he was smiling back at her.

At the restaurant, Hinata ordered the messiest thing she could find; spaghetti. She slurped, chewed with her mouth open, talked with her mouth full, made sure to use the wrong fork, never use her napkin, and get _something, somewhere _on her clothes or body in general. But he still smiled at her, chuckling a bit at her antics. "You're so cute, Hinata." Hinata's mouth hung open, letting a meatball fall out of her mouth.

After the restaurant, Itachi decided to take her to watch a movie, at which Hinata did the best she could. She also ate the popcorn without closing her mouth, talked a little too much over a whisper and laughed too obnoxiously. She aimed to embarrass him, but she was the only one being embarrassed, which, naturally, embarrassed her.

The walk home, she gave up. She silently walked beside him until suddenly he wrapped his arm around her waist. On reflex, she tried pushing him away, but he held her tightly. "I know what you're trying to do, love. It's not going to work." he whispered hotly in her ear. She blushed, furious. "I find this very cute, actually, as I told you before at the restaurant." he licked the spaghetti sauce off of her cheek, chuckling in his deep, suave voice. "You need practice in being a slob." he teased. Hinata shoved herself away from him and walked as far as she could away from him.

She fought the tears burning behind her eyes.

-:-

A week had passed, and Hinata was back in Hidan's house, even more depressed than ever.

"What the heck did you do?" Hidan asked as they sat at the kitchen table. They were drinking soda.

"I tried being totally rude to him on our dates. He said I was cute." she mumbled.

Hidan laughed. "How'd you pull 'rude' off?" he asked, not really wanting an answer. She didn't give one.

"It's not funny, Hidan-sensei! My entire future is on the line, and you're laughing!" She whined. She so felt like crying again, but she had enough of that. She wanted to be the strong girl who could take care of herself, like Hidan had said she was. "I'm sorry," Hidan apologized, reaching out and holding her hands. "I'm going to think of something. I promise."

The word promise jumped around in his head for a bit. Then something hit him like a ton of bricks.

"Marry me, Hinata." he blurted out. Hinata's head snapped up, her cheeks burning. "Wh-What?" she shied her hands away from him, sending the wrong message through her body language. "If you married me, you couldn't marry Itachi, right?" he, too, was beginning to realize the situation he was bringing up and began blushing as well. "And... Its what friends do, right? Marry their cute friend-girl to get them out of a pickle?" He held his breath, bracing himself for her reaction. Her blush died down a bit, and she turned away."That seems too risky, don't you think, Hidan-sensei?" She whispered. "B-But I want to!" Hidan said, raising his voice. She jumped and looked at him. "H-Help you out, that is." he muttered. His eyes told her a slightly different story.

"Oh, Hidan-sensei, no..." Hinata gave him a sad look. "I-I know. It was stupid of me. I'm sorry." Hidan stood up abruptly. "I mean, it was just an idea. To get you out of marrying someone else - Itachi." He turned toward the sink, staring out the window above it. He leaned on his arms that were propped on the rim of the sink. He tapped his foot nervously. "I-I'll think of something else, really. Don't worry about it." he spoke quickly, trying desperately to distract his depression. Why was he getting depressed anyway? It's not like he...

"I'm sorry, Hidan-sensei. I really am. Its just that... Well, Deidara-sensei and I..." She couldn't find the right thing to say. He spun around to face her. "No, Hinata! I'm sorry. I guess I hugged you too many times, or I looked at you the wrong way. Or the right way." He stopped himself. "I didn't know I could feel this again - I formally apologize. Deidara wanted us to be friends. Only." he walked across the room. Hinata stood up and followed him as he walked into the living room.

"Fuck." He cursed, wiping his face in an attempt to make his blush disappear. Hinata put a hand on his shoulder. "I don't know what came over me. This'll just make things more complicated - I'm sorry." he mumbled. "Hidan-sensei -" he interrupted her with more apologies. "Hidan-sensei -!" She made Hidan stand up. "Just say it! Get it out of the way, please!" She almost yelled. Hidan gave her an apologetic look.

"I love you, Hinata. I'm sorry." he cursed a bit under his breath, but still held her gaze. She pulled him into a hug. He hugged her back. "I haven't heard you apologize so much before." She said, trying to lighten the mood. He laughed a little, but not enough to sound happy. They pulled away from each other. "Deidara's going to get mad at me." He smiled a bit.

Then, suddenly, he went down on one knee. "I don't have a ring," he said, taking her hand anyway. "But I need to ask you an important question." he cleared his throat a bit. "Will you... let me marry you so that I can protect you from Itachi?" he kissed her fingers theatrically, making her blush and giggle a bit. "Yes, Hidan-sensei. For those purposes, I will."

--

Once Deidara and Sasori got settled in their apartment, Deidara jumped on the bed and covered his face with his arms. "Do you think I'll ever see her again?" he muttered. Sasori shrugged, even though he couldn't see him. "It'll take a while, but you'll see her again." he assured. Deidara grunted, unconvinced.

After a few minutes, Sasori sighed. He missed Hinata too, don't get him wrong, but he didn't want to be so depressed about it. "Why don't you call Hidan? I'm sure he knows how she's doing." Deidara sat straight up, only to have a cell phone thrown at his gut. Quickly, he dialed the number and excitedly waited for an answer.

--

Hidan jumped up, leaning down slowly to give her a kiss. But before he could, his cell phone rang. Hinata would have accepted the kiss, but she laughed when his phone started playing a Britney Spears ring tone.

_Hit me baby one more time-_

Hidan answered it quickly, blushing. Of all the times he forgot to put it on vibrate...

"Hello?" he said irritably.

_"Hidan? Hey! How's Hinata doing?"_ Deidara's hopeful voice sang.

"She's fine. In fact, do you want to talk to her?"

Deidara was silent for a few minutes.

_"N-No, I couldn't. I'm sure she's mad at me - or even hates me!" _Hidan chuckled a bit and glanced at Hinata, who looked a bit confused. "She's far from hating you, _sweet cheeks_." There was a moment of muted anger. _"R-Really now?" _was all he said. Hidan snickered. "Do you want to talk to her?" he asked again. Deidara paused. _"If she wants to talk to me."_

Hidan turned to Hinata. "Do you want to talk to Deidara?" At the sound of his name, Hinata's heart jumped. "O-Of course I do! Yes!" She took the phone from him and held it to her ear, unable to even say the Hello. After a few seconds, Deidara said, _"Hinata?" _She felt her heart melt with a candy coating of happiness.

"Deidara-sensei!" She sighed. "Deidara-sensei, Oh, I've missed you so much!" She said excitedly. Deidara smiled, even though she couldn't see. _"I missed you too. I'm sorry I left, and for leaving the way I did. It's okay if you hate me." _he said in a serious tone. Hinata gasped at the thought. "_Hate _you? Deidara-sensei -" he cut her off. _"I'm not your sensei anymore, remember?" _He chuckled a bit. "D-Deidara-sen... How could I hate you? Ever? I _love_ you, remember?" she said 'remember' to spite him a bit. _"I love you too, Hinata. I always will."_ Hinata smiled. Then she began to cry. _"Are you crying? Hinata! Why are you crying!? Did I say something!? I'm sorry!"_ He gasped in panic. She shook her head, mixing a laugh with a sob.

"I'm just so happy right now. I mean, so much has happened, and right now you're making it all better." she said in a shaky voice. Deidara was silent for a little. _"Gaw, Hinata, you're going to make me cry now."_ She heard him sob as well, and she started laugh/sobbing again. They were both laugh/sobbing.

--

"Oh, what are you blubbering about?" Sasori asked, slightly annoyed. Deidara chewed on a handkerchief to calm himself. "She's crying because of me! And she's happy! I love her so much!" he mumbled happily. "And best of all," (Sasori questioned him about his choice of words) "She's not mad at me! I'm so glad!" He laughed, and when he listened, Sasori could hear Hinata's voice too.

"Well, whatever makes you two happy, I guess." Sasori rolled his eyes.

-:-

Hinata, fully refreshed after talking to Deidara over the phone, happily walked down the halls of the school the next week. She wasn't even trying to ruin her dates with Itachi because she knew that in a few more weeks she'd be eloping with Hidan-sensei. Everything was looking up.

But the one thing that brought her down was a question that Itachi asked at one of their dinners.

"Why are you acting so happy, Hinata-dear?"

Her smile and happy demeanor vanished completely. Itachi didn't seem to notice. "Because..." If she could do anything under Itachi's gaze, lying wasn't it. His piercing gaze stabbed through her soul, taking her conscience into his head for severe questioning. "Because..." She decided to try anyway. "I've finally accepted the fact that we're getting married! I've also seen how... how _attractive_ you are." He smiled, but it was the kind of smile that said that he knew she was lying. But he played along anyway. "That's great, my love. Why don't we celebrate this epiphany at my house, hm?" he stood up from their table and took her hand forcefully. She became scared. Again.

His house wasn't that far a walk, and all the while he kept is eyes on her. She was thankful that his younger brother, Sasuke, was there in the house.

"Who's the chick?" he asked when they walked in. Sasuke was sitting in the living room, eating pizza. Hinata recognized him, and waved a bit. He smiled a little.

"This, Sasuke, is my fiance, Hinata Hyuga. You two met in High school, I believe." Itachi introduced. Sasuke peered intently at Hinata, and when he finally recognized her, he smiled a little wider. "Oh, I remember you. That girl who got lost that one time. Hehe, what a coincidence." he stood up and shook her hand. "I hope you're not still getting lost." He chuckled, making Hinata feel calmer than she should in her not-supposed-to-be-fiance's house.

Itachi tugged her arm, his grip also shaking out of her the calm she felt a few minutes ago. "We will be going up to my room now, Sasuke. Thank you for greeting us." he said in an unusual hurry. Sasuke shrugged. "Alright. Have fun, I guess." Hinata felt helpless with Itachi. She stared at Sasuke until they disappeared upstairs, where Itachi pinned her against a wall out of sight.

(Semi-Lemon? Not entirely, but if you're uncomfortable with reading this stuff, I'll summarize it for you here: **ITACHI'S BEING A SERIAL RAPIST**.)

"So you've realized how _attractive_ I am, have you?" he teased, immediately unbuttoning her shirt. She clenched her fists and nodded hesitantly. He laughed a little, which sent chills down her spine. Her shirt was open, and his arm went around her bare waist. She closed her eyes tightly and let him lead her to the bedroom. She was thrown onto the bed, and as he took off his upper garments, began talking to her in the sweetest of ways. "So you're attracted to me now? Just for that, I'll make this extra _hot_." he whispered the word in her ear, making her blush. He cupped her breast, and she squeaked in surprise. Her eyes shut tightly again, and she did her best to keep his lips off of hers. If the rest of her body was Itachi's, then her lips were forever Deidara's.

He continued to grope her here and there, took off this and that, and before long she had enough. She screamed, and Itachi got off of her. But he wasn't angry. In fact, he smirked. "Lying is a very unwholesome habit, my dear." He said smoothly, leaning down and sucking lightly on her chest. She tried pushing him off, but he pressed her fully to him and immobilizing her arms. "Please, Itachi-sensei, don't!" she begged when he lined her underwear with his finger. He tugged at the elastic, slowly and teasingly sliding it down her hip. She squirmed under him, her resistance turning him on. He purred against her skin, taking her underwear completely off, leaving Hinata fully naked under him. Tears began to fall down her face, but they stopped when she began moaning. He slid a finger inside of her, and it was then that she felt utterly powerless against him.

It was too late.

-:-

...Yeeah, sorry about that.

Won't happen again? (lie)

(Mature rating, or what? Haha.)


	11. Chapter 11

MajsanWorld: That's the gist of it. X)

-:-

Sasuke saw Hinata's bag on the floor. Being a gentleman, he set it on the table and almost went back to watching TV. Almost.

He heard the phone ring, and he took it upon himself to answer it.

"Hello?" he said awkwardly.

_"Who the hell are you?"_ Hidan asked, surprised.

"Um... If you're looking for Hinata, she's a bit busy right now." Sasuke heard a scream upstairs and turned a bright pink. _But she's only 18 years old._ He thought, considering the things his older brother might be doing to her right now. _"Busy? With what? Where is she?"_ Hidan demanded, worried. He sounded like he was running. "Uh... Who are you, anyway?" Sasuke asked as a security precaution.

_"I'm Hidan, Hinata's friend. Can I speak to her please?"_ Sasuke looked up the flight of stairs. He heard soft moaning, the kind you'd hear from a woman during _certain sexual acts. _"I'm afraid not, Mr. Hidan. Perhaps I can take a message?"

Hidan scoffed. _"Look, Sasuke, tell me where the hell Hinata is!" _Sasuke was surprised that he knew his name. "How did you-" Hidan cut him off with his answer. _"I'm the school's councilor. l know everybody." _he said it in a stern voice. Sasuke gulped. "We're at our house - Itachi and I." he said. He heard Hidan curse under his breath.

_"I'll be right there."_

--

This led Sasuke to believe that his brother wasn't the nice, noble man that the school, his family, and society thought him to be. Which led to many conclusions and explanations that had to do with the girl upstairs - Hinata. And some of the other girls he brought home every other month. Which led to many other things Sasuke could do to confirm that his brother actually _was_the person he was making himself out to be, and how he could help save Hinata and any future girls that may enter this house.

Which led him to answering the door, where this Hidan person was standing, panting heavily as if he had run all the way here from where ever he was before.

-:-

Hinata was scared.

Terrified, even.

Horrified.

The things Itachi was doing, she knew was wrong. That in itself was scary.

But what scared her the most was her fading desire to resist.

-:-

Hidan ran into the house, ignoring Sasuke, who for a moment started to keep him from entering. Then he slowly followed him, a bit shaken up by what he was expecting to see.

"Hinata!" Hidan shouted.

It was then that Itachi stopped what he was about to do, then looked behind him at the door. This brought Hinata back into focus, and resurfaced the previous fear of being raped by her math-teacher-fiance. She struggled to get the blanket over her disturbingly naked body before someone barged in. She was still shaken up at how close she was to just giving in to him. Tears fell from her eyes, and before Itachi turned back to force her back into whatever he was doing, Hidan burst through the door, Sasuke close behind.

"Don't touch her!" He yelled, shoving Itachi away from the now crying Hinata. Sickeningly calm, Itachi pulled his pants back on and stood up. Sasuke backed up against the wall, appalled at what his brother was doing - and what he probably was doing to many other women in the area before. "Brother, you..." he started, but swallowed his words when Itachi glared at him.

Hinata clung to Hidan for dear life, letting the blanket fall to her hips as he held her tightly.

"Hidan-sensei." Itachi said, the lightest hint of anger in his usually calm voice. "May I ask what you are doing, invading my home and taking away my dearly beloved wife-to-be?" Hidan only glared at him, taking Hinata's shirt and sliding it over her. "I'm saving someone's life, probably. And uprooting some unknown secrets to an ignorant college graduate."; He nodded toward Sasuke, who gulped down a lump in his throat. "Hmph." Itachi grunted, crossing his arms.

Sasuke stared, horrified at his older brother. Then, bubbling up inside him, anger. "Itachi, this is wrong." he said in a shakily defensive voice. Itachi's head snapped in his direction. "Wrong? What's wrong, attempting to make love to your soon-to-be wife? What's wrong in wanting someone to know just how much you love them through the only act you know possible?" Sasuke silenced himself.

"Against her will?" Hidan cut in through grit teeth. Itachi smirked at this, and Hinata looked down, away from anyone's gaze. "Against her will? Why, Hinata darling, I was under the impression that you _accepted_ that we were getting married? And that you thought I was _attractive_?" he said, his smirk growing a bit. Hinata swallowed any sort of sob and yelled. "You know I was lying! And you still went and... and...!" She cut herself short, not being able to mention what he did to her only minutes ago.

Hidan shook his head, gathering her up in his arms. "Whatever she said, and whatever you did, we're leaving. Don't touch her. Ever." he carried her out of the house, absolutely frustrated that he didn't bring the car instead of running here. Even so, she still clung to him. Weighing his options (which was considerably difficult, what with the girl in his arms), he decided to walk. What else could he do?

"Hinata... What did he do to you?" he asked after a while. She held him a little tighter. "He... He touched me." she whispered. "How much?" he gripped her tightly, angry. "Too much." was all she was able to say. He pressed his lips against her head. "Well, you're okay now. I'm here." he assured, making her relax.

They heard a car slow down beside them. The driver's window rolled down, and Sasuke's head poked out. "Hey. Could I possibly... offer you two a ride home?" he looked apologetic, even though he didn't do anything. Hidan nodded.

"I'm sorry about my brother." Sasuke said when they got settled in the car. "I should have realized what he was doing." he gripped the wheel, guilt ridden. Hinata shook her head. "It's not your fault, Sasuke." That was the only thing she said before falling asleep.

Since her parents thought she was at Itachi's, Hidan told Sasuke to drop them off at his house.

Hidan put Hinata on his bed, then searched his closet for a change of clothes for the morning. After setting the clothes at the foot of the bed, he left the room, turning off the lights and closing the door. He was going to sleep on the couch tonight.

-:-

Hinata woke up the next morning with a headache and a stiff neck. She looked around, glad that she was no longer in the clutches of Itachi. Unfortunately - and unlike other hangovers of this kind - she remembered every second of last night. Every word, every action, every feeling. She shivered, looking around the room again to distract herself. She found a sticky note on her blanket.

_Hinata -_

_Went to work. Follow sticky note directions._

_Love, Hidan_

_(heart)_

Hinata tilted her head in confusion. If Hidan was at work, then he was at school. And if he were at school, that meant that it was a Monday. And if it was a Monday, then that meant he was talking to that Pot Kid after school. Which was a fact that was very trivial to this paragraph, but that Pot Kid had become such a natural occurrence in her mind that it became second-nature.

Bringing her mind back to the sticky note, she looked over her bed, where a trail of sticky notes led to a pile of clothes. _Wear these - I hope they fit! (another heart)_ She cracked a smile at the second heart. There was an unnecessary trail of sticky notes leading to the bathroom she already knew the location of. "At least he had fun." She said aloud; a habit she wanted to have whenever she was alone in a house. In the bathroom she took a shower and changed into the clothes provided. A trail of sticky notes led to the kitchen, where on the table was a note that read, _Breakfast in the microwave. (another heart)_ The hearts, she thought, were cute.

Hinata decided to clean up the sticky notes, since messes were one of her pet peeves. She looked at the clock briefly - 12:10. Almost lunch. Had she slept that long? Or were they home that late?

She froze.

She heard the door open and close.

Had Hidan left it unlocked?

Knowing him, it was a possibility.

But who was it?

Scared and cautious, she left the sticky notes where they were and made her way back into the bedroom. Immediately, she heard footsteps down the hallway, and she locked the door before the person jiggled the knob.

"Locked? What the fu-" The thankfully familiar voice silenced himself when he remembered about the girl inside the room. He muttered to himself as he walked off to look for that one key to his room - which he never locked. Hinata giggled silently to herself, unlocking the door and poking her head out. Hidan was walking back to the room with a ring ridiculously filled with keys. He sifted through them aimlessly, cursing himself for not labelling them before.

"Stupid fucking piece of - Hinata!" He dropped the keys in surprise, making a loud _Chink! _sound. Hinata opened the door a little wider, showing him how loosely the big dress shirt and matching loose pants fit. He laughed awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. "Uh... I'm on lunch break so... I came to check on you. Are you feeling better?" He asked. Hinata nodded, smiling at him. "What's with all the sticky notes?" She asked teasingly, sticking one on his chest. He turned a light pink, quickly removing it. "I didn't sleep much last night, so I had a lot of time with nothing to do. So..." He kicked up a few sticky notes off the floor. "I guess I didn't think about the mess I'd have to clean up afterward." he laughed lightly.

Hinata walked around him, and he frowned when he noticed how loose his clothing was on her. She was holding the pants up so they wouldn't fall. "Do you want a belt, Hinata?" he asked, stepping into his room and grabbing one from behind the door. Hinata shrugged. "I guess it's more effective than holding it up all day." He wrapped the belt through the straps, trying to buckle it up properly. But the belt proved to be too long. He grimaced. All his belts were the same size. Gloom took over him, and he limply held the belt that hung from her waist. "Am I too fat!?" he yelled to himself. Hinata giggled, taking his hands in hers. "You're just tall, Hidan-sensei." she assured, tying the belt into a knot. Since it was leather, it was quite uncomfortable walking around with it on - not to mention awkward. Thinking of this, she decided to undo the knot and just... well, she didn't know what to do with the belt. She took it off. Hidan laughed, taking the belt and hanging it back up on the door.

He stared at her for a long time after that, trying not to notice how see-through his shirt was, and how he _wanted_to see through his shirt at see what it was covering. He shook his head, and Hinata looked at him, concerned. "I-I think I have smaller pants in my d-dresser. I-I'll go get th-those." He walked stiffly towards the dresser, refusing to look at her. Hinata looked at herself in the mirror, wondering if there was something on her clothes or face that made him act so weird. Shrugging, she moved to sit on the bed, leisurely swinging her legs over the side.

The only pants Hidan could find were the pants he wore for animal (and sometimes human) sacrifices when he started college. They were leather, tight, the zipper and the button were hard to manage, but on Hinata, he bet they'd work just fine. He handed them to her, and she held back laughter. "Are these _yours?_" She asked, giggling. He blushed, hiding his hurt ego. "These were cool back in college!" He huffed, lying. The pants were neither cool nor stylish, and whenever he walked around the dorms with nothing but them on he'd clear the entire fifth floor of his roommates. They accused him of being gay, and those who knew him and his religion were scared of being his next sacrifice.

Hinata eventually agreed to wearing them, since they seemed a bit more fit than the other ones she was wearing. However, looks can be decieving, and the pants turned out to be such a tight fit that she couldn't get the button closed. The top of her underwear was showing, and she refused to step out of his bedroom.

"Come on, Hinata, it can't be that bad! They were loose on me when I was a kid!" (Lie) Hidan called from the hallway. "No!" She yelled back, locking the door. Hidan sighed, using his newly found key to open it again. He opened it a bit easier than he thought, but when he did she ran to the bed and hid herself under the covers. "Er... Hinata?" He walked up to the bed and poked the lump under his blanket. "Don't look!" She squeaked. "The pants are too small!" She shifted so that she was laying down properly, her head poking out from under the covers. "Well, at least let me assess the situation." He sat at the foot of the bed. Hesitantly, she pushed the covers away and stood up, trying to hide her underwear with his shirt. "Aw, it doesn't look that bad..." She quickly showed him how she couldn't fasten the button, and he felt his pants grow tighter.

"Oh. I... see." he paused. She walked over to the closet, where all his other pants were. She sifted through it, and Hidan cursed at his lower half to 'cut it out'. Finally she put on a different pair of pants and turned around. When she saw the unknown bulge in Hidan's pants, she turned back around, beet red. "H-Hidan-sensei!" Hidan cursed, this time covering himself with the blanket. "Sorry! Oh god, Sorry!"

After a few seconds, he burst from the bed and hopped to the door. "Lunch break's over! I'll see you later!" Hinata jumped in surprise, then ran after him. She caught his arm in the kitchen. He was still blushing from embarrassment. When she thought about it, she was too. "Hidan-sensei..." she let him go, but he didn't run. "What was that?" she asked after a pause. Hidan looked everywhere but her. "They covered sex-ed in middle school, Hinata." he muttered. She looked downward, regretting pursuing him when he left the bedroom. "...Okay." She began walking away and back to the bedroom. Hidan almost reached out to grab her, but didn't.

"I'll see you after school."

-:-

IT'S CALLED AN ERECTION.

._.


	12. Chapter 12

Hinata didn't talk to him for a few days after that. They both regarded this sudden separation as their second fight, but in reality it was just awkward being around each other.

Which was why Hidan was surprised when she walked into his office after the Pot Kid ran out.

Silently, she sat down on the couch. He had a clipboard on his lap and fake glasses over his eyes (which made him feel and look intelligent). She clutched the strap of her bag tightly as she grew more comfortable with her surroundings. Then, suddenly, she stood up, walked over to him, and leaned close to his face. He masked his want to kiss her expertly, showing instead indifference and boredom. "Please take a seat, Hinata." She shook her head, but still backed away a little. Hidan slid off his glasses, setting them down on the table behind her hip. Then he pushed her back, and she fell on the couch. He leaned over her this time, his clipboard covering their faces from the glass window in the door.

"You missed your last three appointments, Hinata. Have you been feeling alright?" he asked. Gulping, Hinata nodded, clenching and releasing her fists in her lap. "Itachi hasn't done anything inappropriate to you on your dates, right?" She shook her head, beginning to look down. He tilted her chin up. "Okay. As long as you're safe." he began to pull back, but she tugged at his shirt collar. "Um... Hidan-sensei..." She started, then blushed a dark red. "Wh-When are we going to get... m-married...?" A while back, he had proposed to 'marry her to protect her from Itachi'. She said yes, and since then they have been in the process of deciding when, where, and how.

Hidan thought a bit, still being pulled down by Hinata's arm. Realizing this, she released her grip, only to have Hidan stay were he was; leaning over her. "Well, how can I carry through with a marriage when I haven't even kissed the girl yet?" He glanced at her face, which had turned an even darker red. Smiling, he leaned down and kissed her forehead. In surprise, she jerked her head up and that was when he caught her in a lip-lock. As a reflex, she began pushing him away, but all too quickly leaned into it. He pulled her up from the couch, wrapping his arms around her. He parted for only a second before kissing her again.

When he pulled away, she dropped back down on the couch, her cheeks so red, they reverted back to light pink. Her hands cupped her face to cool them down, to no avail. "U-Uh... Um... H-Hidan-s-sen..." She shut her eyes tightly, unable to tell if she was angry or embarrassed. She remembered telling herself that her lips were for Deidara only, but...

"We could try next week. Nothing too big; Invite a few friends to a small chapel - that is, if you want the ceremony." He sat down beside her, the clipboard showing different doodles of the two getting married. " Or...we could just get the papers done... if you like." He flipped the paper over; two stick figures were holding a piece of paper that read 'Married!'. Hinata would have laughed if she weren't still calming herself down. He noticed her silence and glanced at her. Then laughed. "Aw, Hinata, it was just a kiss!" He wrapped an arm around her. He was reading other documents on the clipboard for a few minutes. Hinata slowly wrapped her arm around him, and he smiled. He kissed her head and continued reading.

From the small window on the door, Itachi was watching, a camera in his hand.

-:-

_Who told them?_

_What proof did they have?_

_Well, not that I'm denying it, but..._

_Was it Itachi-sensei?_

Hinata sat hugging her knees in her bedroom, grounded. Or, in a more truthful way, incarcerated.

On what she gathered, _somebody _took pictures of her kissing Hidan, and that _somebody _showed the pictures to her parents. Everything played out from there, and now the only people she was allowed to see were family and Itachi. And the only times she was allowed out of her room were to go to the bathroom and eating meals.

No, school was not an exception.

So on top of having to spend the rest of her life in her room, theoretically she'd have to repeat senior year fifteen million times.

Even her mother was mad at her - what happened to being on _her_ side!?

--

Hidan sat, alone, in his office, waiting either for that Pot Kid to come back or for Hinata to come for her appointment. Neither happened, and Hidan was more worried about Hinata.

The door opened, and Hidan's heart fluttered, thinking that it was Hinata. But, everyone knows that when Hidan's heart flutters, a kitten dies.

Itachi walked into the room, a smug smirk on his face. Hidan immediately knew why Hinata wasn't here: He was.

"What are you doing here, Itachi?" Hidan said, hissing. Itachi chuckled. "Hinata won't be attending this school anymore. Her parents and I are to homeschool her, since she has become too exposed to the outside world." He paced around the room, a haughty look on his face. "Outside world? What are you talking about? Homeschool?" Hidan stood up. "I took it upon myself to watch over my Hinata, and when I caught you kissing her, naturally I'd tell." Hidan scowled.

"Motherfucking son of a bitch." He muttered, crossing his arms. Itachi frowned a little. "I don't care much for your language, Hidan." he said, stopping to look over HIdan's desk. He found a picture of Hinata and Hidan at the park. He threw the frame at the wall, shattering the glass.

"Stay away from Hinata, if you know what's good for you." Itachi glared at Hidan as he began to leave the room. Before a witty comment could be returned, the door slammed shut, leaving Hidan to clean the mess.

-:-

Hinata sat at her desk, turned around to face the billboard they put - rudely, she might add - over the posters on her free wall. She tapped her pencil in boredom as Itachi gave his Math lesson. He noticed her bored expression and walked up to her, stroking her cheek lovingly. "Pay attention, please." he said smoothly. Unfazed, Hinata stopped tapping her pencil to satisfy his request.

It didn't bother her as much that she was marrying Itachi. She still detested the idea, but she took comfort in knowing that this weekend, she was running away to get married to her friend, Hidan. It was Wednesday, so she had three more days to endure the boring Math classes and avoiding her teacher altogether.

"Hinata?"

Hinata focused on Itachi now, a confused expression on her face. "Y-Yes?" she stuttered, embarrassed for being caught not paying attention. Itachi chuckled in a tone that made her want to punch someone. Namely him.

"I suppose we'll end our lesson for today." He closed the book he was reading from and set it down on her desk. Then he tilted her head up to look at him. "Are you enjoying your Math, Hinata?" he asked, making sure his breath was on her lips. She shrugged, looking away. He gripped her chin a little tighter, forcing a startled gasp from her.

"You _will_ love me. We _will_ get married, and you _will_ like it." He growled, for the first time showing a scowl in front of her. "You will _forget _Deidara. You will _forget _Hidan, and forget about ever escaping to your little wonderland with either of them." Then, suddenly, he brought his lips down onto hers, forcing his tongue in. She tried pushing him off of her, but he only held tighter on her face, which hurt a lot more than it looked. She was scared again, and in her panic she pounded on his chest. When he finally parted from her, she pressed herself against the wall, away from him.

"I never loved you! I never will! I hate you!" She shrieked, glaring at him with all the anger in her heart. "I won't marry you! I'd rather die!" But to her, marrying him would be just as good as dying. "Don't you ever kiss me again, you dirty piece of shit!" She was so angry, the clutching motions she made with her fists created dents in the wall.

Yet, Itachi watched and listened, looking like he just saw a five year old child do ballet. "I like 'em feisty." he licked his lips, and Hinata's jaw dropped open. Was he serious? "Itachi-sensei!" She exploded, all her anger and more pouring from her lips. "You are insane. You are a filthy minded, no good, terrible, awful man who should never have any business near people my age. I hope that our wedding day becomes the worst day of your unwanted existence in my life. You can go die, and I will watch." She began panting, fury burning in her eyes. "If we ever have any kind of sexual relationship, it will never be you that I think about. It'll be the one I really love, Deidara-sensei. He will be in my mind 24/7 while my only thoughts of you will be ones of hate and despair. And I swear to God in Heaven, if you're unfazed by all of this, you have no soul and don't deserve one to be made for your waste of flesh and bone."

Itachi, surprisingly to her, did show emotion. But it wasn't sadness or hurt. It was anger. He was furious. And heading straight for her.

He crushed her head against the wall, bringing his face close to hers. "Now listen here, you ungrateful bitch -" He gripped her hair tightly in his fist. "I am offering you my life, here. My love, my home, my resources, everything good in store for you in life comes through me. It always has and always will. I'm not going to let you get away with disrespecting me like this." He lifted her head and hit it against the wall again. "If I ever hear you say these things to me again, so help me you won't even be able to walk while eloping with your precious _Hidan-sensei._ He'll have to marry a broken cripple who wouldn't just do what she was told." He brushed his lips against hers. "We're getting married, and you're going to like it. Not for me, Not for your family, but for your own safety." He grunted, then threw her one last time against the wall. She slid down to the ground, her head pounding and breath heavy. "And always remember - I love you."

Hinata began to cry, for lack of a better thing to do. He gathered up all his things and began walking out of the room.

-:-

_I Miss Hinata :'(_

_I know._

_I wanna go back to Konoha X'(_

_Me too._

Deidara let out a wail and rolled around on his bed, his cell phone resting on his pillow. On the other side of the room, Sasori sat at his desk, his cell phone on top of a book. Even though they were in the same room, they were texting each other so Sasori could work in peace. It was Deidara's day off, and whenever he was home he thought about Hinata every minute.

"Can I talk to you yet, Sasori!?" he yelled. "No." Sasori kept click-clacking on the computer keyboard. Huffing, Deidara texted him again.

_I'M BORED AND SAD AND LONELY AND I NEED A HUG._

_What do you want me to do about it?_

_LET'S GO HOME._

_We are home._

_THIS ISN'T HOME. NO HEART EXISTS HERE._

_What about yours?_

_SHUT UP._

_Sigh..._

Deidara yelled out for the sake of making noise. Sasori didn't do anything, so Deidara threw a pillow at him. The impact made Sasori's leg kick up, which pulled a cord, which happened to be the computer's ON switch, which turned off the computer and lost all of Sasori's important data.

"DEIDARA, YOU _IDIOT._"

Sasori stood up and threw the pillow back at Deidara, hard and forceful. "Why don't you just go back to Konoha, you useless-"

--

Hinata held her cell phone shakily in her closet. She was hiding, since her parents (and Itachi, who had become more of a parent than a husband himself) forbade her from using it. It was late in the day, and everyone was out doing their business. The one they left to watch over her was Neji, her older brother. And he, feeling sorry about her situation, tended to turn a blind eye to some of the things she did. But she couldn't take any chances.

She decided, since they were still her parents, and she knew to always respect your parents, that she would allow herself one phone call. So she called her one true love, Deidara.

_Pick up, pick up, pick up-_

_"Hello?"_

Hinata couldn't contain her excitement. "D-Deidara-sensei!?" she squealed. _"Hinata? Oh, my darling!"_ He laughed, and she did too. _"How are you, my love?"_ Her laughter cut itself short. Truthfully, she wasn't doing very well. _"Hinata?"_ His tone lowered to a more worried and serious one. _"What did he do?"_ And he seemed to know who caused her to feel so sad.

"He... He... Itachi-sensei almost..." She began to cry, suddenly feeling guilty and dirty for letting any other man - even Hidan - touch her. She heard Deidara's breath catch in his throat. He sounded angry. "I miss you, Deidara-sensei. Am I ever going to see you again?" She sobbed, taking one of her hanging shirts and wiping her eyes with it. "I wish I could answer you, Hinata. I don't know how flexible my life is right now. I want to be with you, right now, to make it all better." He sighed, and Hinata sobbed a little loudly into the phone.

"I'm scared, Deidara-sensei. I don't know what to do." she let all of her sadness flow through her tears and down her cheeks.

"I love you, Hinata. That will never change. I promise."

--

"Is Hinata okay?" Sasori asked. Deidara still gripped the phone tightly in his hand. He bit his lip. There wasn't anything he could do. Hinata was all the way in a different part of the continent, scared, and getting married to someone she didn't want. Imagine how she feels, he thought. Just imagine how much it must hurt, being separated from the one you love and being married to someone else.

Deidara tossed the phone aside and leaned forward, running his hands through his hair. "She needs me, Sasori." He muttered, gripping his hair. "Now, more than ever."

-:-

On Friday, Hinata was allowed to go back to school. The conditions were that she could never see Hidan again, and that she would go straight home after school. Hinata wasn't too concerned about the first option - she could just close her eyes while they talked. And as for the second option, Hidan was able to clear some time for her appointment during school. And besides, they would be running away together the following night.

When Hinata entered his office, he immediately went up to hug her. She had her eyes closed, and when she explained why, he laughed. "That'll make things easier, I guess." And after a moment, she felt him kiss her. She quickly pushed him away, blushing. "Please, Hidan-sensei." She cleared her throat. "I found the place where we can get married. It's a bit far, but that's the point of running away, right?" he smiled, though she couldn't see. He helped her sit on the couch, and she smiled as well. "That's great, Hidan-sensei."

They were silent, and Hidan stared at her for the longest time.

"Open your eyes, Hinata." Hinata did as she was told, looking up and into Hidan's eyes.

"Do you really want to marry me?" he asked. Hinata looked away. "I-I mean... it's for the sake of _not_marrying Itachi-sensei, right?" He sat beside her. "Hinata, just running away will get you out of marrying him. I want to marry you because... I love you." he turned a light pink. "And I was trying to disguise that with your arranged marriage with Itachi. But now with the event being tomorrow, I don't want you to think that." He paused to look at her. She didn't look angry, so he continued. "Plus, you love Deidara. So if you don't kill me, he will." he chuckled a little.

Hinata smiled, then frowned a little. "I don't think... I want to marry you, Hidan-sensei." His chuckling faded, but he still kept the smile. "I thought so." he said. Though he didn't really act like it, he was still the mature adult figure in the relationship. "I mean, you do technically have a boyfriend already. And I'll still help you run away, so don't worry about-" He suddenly felt something on his cheek. Something soft, timid, and warm. A kiss. Hinata leaned back, getting comfortable in her seat. "Th-Thank you, Hidan-sensei." she stammered, fiddling with the strap of her bag again.

Hidan smiled, putting a hand over hers. He leaned over, their lips just inches away before the door burst open and an angry Itachi stormed in.

Hinata screamed in surprise, and Hidan glared at him.

"I _thought _so." Itachi said, smirking. "My own fiance, cheating on me with another man. No matter, this problem can be fixed very quickly." He reached into his jacket, and after a beat, the reflective light from the shining metal flashed in their eyes.

A gun.

-:-

You may now scream in agony, because it is here that I choose to end the chapter.


	13. Chapter 13

Hinata couldn't remember much of what happened after that day.

Only that, after the gun went off, she screamed, and a stream of red blood flowed from his head to her uniform. And that, despite being hit there, he still moved to get her away from _him _and pushed her to the ground as he fell, dead.

And, as the ambulance and police took her back home, she realized one absolutely true fact.

She was alone.

-:-

The next time she actually tuned back into her life was on her wedding day. Unfortunately, her daydreams weren't enough to make Deidara the one to stand before her. Itachi smiled with the smallest hint of evil. He mouthed the words - or did he say them? - "I do," and the priest turned to her.

"And do you, Hinata Hyuga, take Itachi Uchiha to be your husband..."

No. Of course she didn't. She never would, but she had no choice now.

"I do." She said, somehow. Itachi nodded approvingly at her, and she held a look of indifference.

"You may kiss the bride." the priest said.

Hinata closed her eyes tightly as Itachi leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. It didn't last long, since she was so unresponsive.

There was cheering, and Hinata felt Itachi tug at her arm to walk back down the aisle.

-:-

_They were at the top of the Ferris Wheel, the lights of the park sparkling up at them. Across from her, Deidara sat, looking at her instead of admiring the vview. _

_"You're so beautiful, Hinata." he said softly, reaching over to hold her hand. She gladly took it, a smile on her face. "I love you." he leaned over to kiss her, and she gladly leaned into it. _

_"Hinata..."_

_"Hinata."_

"Hinata!"

Hinata jumped in bed, startled. Itachi stood in front of her, tightening his tie.

"Wake up, love. It's time for..." she tuned him out and sat up, combing a hand through her hair. She tried recollecting her life before that moment. She was 23 now, working at a small bookstore, and - did she still hate her husband? She was pretty sure, but not exactly at the same time. Her husband, Itachi, had quit being a teacher soon after they got married and has since then become a very successful businessman. Her friends all led their own lives, most of them moving out of town. They kept in touch - sometimes. Her best friend, Hidan, had been shot and killed, and her lover, Deidara, was nowhere to be seen.

Hinata walked to the small building on the corner of her street, greeting her employer and her co-workers. She liked to read the books there - they were her only escape from her life, other than her constant daydreaming. She was finishing a teen fiction book, which only made sense, since she was still considerably young.

It was another boring day. Not a lot of people came to the shop, since society was more into the Internet and technology. But six hours away from home was six hours away from home.

-:-

Deidara and Sasori were now old enough to not lie about their ages. Sasori was 23, and Deidara 24. Sasori was a businessman, and Deidara developed his art skills to become a very famous painter and sculptor. They still lived together, even though each had enough money to live apart. They were very successful, but their lives had become terribly permanent in their town, and it was very difficult to even _think _of going back to Konoha.

Sasori's success story, ironically, was thanks to that accident with the computer from when they were teenagers. The lost data, if it weren't lost in the first place, would have been hacked by a rivaling company. If they had gotten to the files, the company would have been shut down for good.

Deidara, on all of his days off, worked on his art. One day, he decided to paint outside, since it was a beautiful day. Be it fate or coincidence, a famous art dealer walked by the yard and noticed him.

However, no matter how much success came their way, and how much wealth, Deidara felt empty without Hinata by his side.

-:-

Itachi sat alone in his office.

Bored, he pulled out a drawer and took out the pistol he shot so long ago.

His fingers danced lightly over it, silently reliving the thrill of the moment.

_Hinata screamed. _

_"Itachi, put the gun away! You're scaring her!" Hidan shouted, pushing Hinata down on the couch. He didn't know that the target was him. "Shooting someone won't solve anything!" Itachi smiled evilly, the gun poised and aimed at Hidan. "Yes, it will." _

_He pulled the trigger. _

_Hinata screamed again, unable to wipe the blood that splattered on her cheek. _

_"Fuck... you." Hidan fell onto the couch. Hinata moved out of the way, horrified. _

_Oh, the way the bullet pierced his skull. He could practically hear his brains explode. _

_Itachi walked over to Hidan's body, admiring his work. "Not bad for the first time, right, Hinata?" He looked over at her, smiling. She stared at him in horror, tears streaming down her face. _

_"You killed him." She whispered after a minute. _

_"All for you, my love."_

Itachi smiled broadly. Where was his love right now? Did she have work? No matter. He pressed a button on his phone.

"Yes, Itachi?" His secretary answered.

"Bring my wife to my office." he ordered softly, "While I'm still giddy."

"Right away, sir."

After about 10 minutes, Hinata stood before him, her hands tightly held together. This was the first time he pulled her out of work to see him.

He stood up, an eerie smile on his face. He stood behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. She held back a gasp; in one of his hands he held his gun.

"Do you remember this, my love?" Hesitantly, she nodded. "I saved your life with this tool. That fateful day, five years ago." _Or ruined it. _She thought bitterly, biting her lip. "That disgusting man disappeared from your life. You don't have to worry anymore." He held her tighter as she began to struggle against him. "I know, It makes me excited as well. In fact..." Hinata gasped when she felt his tongue caress her cheek. "I'm _very _excited." His hand slid under her shirt, and she continued to squirm under him. "N-No... I-I-Itachi..." she whispered too softly for him to hear. Anger and hate began to bubble inside of her, her hands forming into fists. "Hmm?" he purred against her newly exposed neck.

"No!" she shouted, pushing him away with her elbow. He grunted, and Hinata hurried out of the room. "I'll see you at home, Itachi." She said, storming out the door. This was the first time she ever stood up to him.

--

Hinata walked back to the bookstore. She briefly wondered how Itachi looked before she left. Was he angry?

When she stepped in through the door, she hurried behind the counter when she saw a customer.

"S-Sorry. I had something to do and..."

"No problem."

Hinata stopped what she was doing. That voice... It couldn't possibly...

She looked up. The man was wearing a hat, but the silver hair was almost unmistakable.

"Hidan...sensei...?" she whispered. The man looked at her, puzzled. "Um?" he looked away, feeling awkward. "Um... Hidan - at least, the one _I'm _talking about - was my uncle. I'm Kevin." Kevin tipped his hat to her. Hinata looked at him. "How old are you, Kevin?" she asked. "Oh, I guess I'm 17. I could be younger. Or older. I stopped keeping track at 10." he shrugged. "Why? How old do I look?" The resemblance to Hidan was almost remarkable. "I suppose you're 17," she began. "But you have a mature look that makes you look 18. Does that satisfy you?" She asked, laughing a bit. "Only if you are, missie." He clicked his tongue and winked.

When he paid for his books and left, Hinata felt like crying. Uncle or not, Kevin reminded her too much of her fallen friend.

--

The walk home was cold, and she had to rub her arms to keep warm.

However, what was waiting for her at home wasn't a hug.

Itachi stood there with a knife in his hand.

"We've been through this, Hinata. I'm not afraid to teach you a lesson, no matter how much it cost. Even a limb or two."

Her scream echoed through the busy streets of Konoha. Yet nobody heard a sound.

-:-

Shortish =/

(KEVINN! X3)


	14. Chapter 14

At least he had the courtesy to carry her up to the bedroom when it was over.

Itach began slashing at her, arms first. The cuts created a surprisingly intricate pattern of X's and lines. Then her legs had random scratches that, unfortunately, did not turn out as pretty. On her left cheek, a long cut reached from close to her ear and across diagonally. On her neck and shoulders, the same thing; long gashes. Her clothes were stained with blood, and her salted tears made the wounds sting.

"What a nasty fall down the stairs." He said as he undid his tie and removed his clothing. Hinata still had a little fight in her.

"Even if I did fall, I'd say you pushed me." she spat from her weak position on the bed. He glared at her over his shoulder. "Careful, love. I still have the knife." he walked over to her, tracing the new scars with the tip of the knife. When he got to her hand, he cut a deep one into her palm. She yelped out in pain. Itachi kissed the fresh cut, licking the blood off his lips. Then he kissed her, his tongue invading her mouth. "I love you so much, Hinata." He crawled into bed next to her, wrapping his arms around her sobbing figure. The knife was still in his hand, and the tip of it poked her back.

--

She didn't go to work the next day. Instead, she spent the six hours wrapping and changing bandages and making up an excuse as to why she had them on.

"If I fell down stairs, I would have bruises too. And not to mention a broken limb." she muttered to herself as she cleaned her wounds carefully in the bathroom. "If I had an accident with the blender, they'd wonder what our cook was doing. And if I said I was depressed, then what?" she paused and stopped cleaning herself. "Maybe I'll just go to work today." She looked up through the window.

Hinata finished up putting her bandages on her arms and legs, forgetting to cover the one on her face. Her boss was absolutely horrified and worried. "What happened?" He asked. "Oh, just an accident. I'm okay." She smiled, even though it opened her wound a little. Blood trickled down her cheek, and the boss gasped. "Here, let me get you a bandage. My god!" he hurried to the back of the store and returned, promptly sticking the bandage to her cheek. "Thank you..." She said, touching the sore spot.

After confirming that she could work today, Hinata sat at the register, prohibited from doing anything more than sitting there and running items. So she began reading again.

-:-

Deidara couldn't take it anymore.

One night, he stormed out of the house and into the car.

"Where are you going?" Sasori asked, following him out to the car.

"I need Hinata. I'm going back to Konoha." Deidara slid into the passenger's seat. "Are you coming or not?" Sasori shook his head. "I've got an important meeting to go to in the morning." Deidara nodded. "I'll be back... later, I guess. Don't wait up on me."

Before the car could disappear onto the road, Sasori called after him. "But they'll recognize you. Cut your hair or something." Deidara touched his locks of hair, saddened. It had taken a lot of work to get it where it was today. "Maybe later..." he said.

"Bye, Deidara. Good luck." They nodded to each other before Deidara took off.

--

Deidara was able to stay at a hotel in Konoha. He was able to get a good room, though to him it didn't really matter. His money and title could get him almost anywhere - except by Hinata's side.

Once he settled, he took a pair of scissors and held out his long bangs. With a sigh, he began cutting his hair.

When he finished, he looked at himself in the mirror. It was uneven, but he thought the look gave him a sense of a _free man _or _I do what I want, whenever I want._ He kept his hair leaning to the left, like his bangs did, and he cut off the hair that made his ponytail. It would take some getting used to, but he could make it work.

The next morning, he walked around town. There were many new stores and cafes, and a new book store a few blocks down.

-;-

Hinata sat at the counter, reading a book as usual. But she wasn't all that focused on the book. The words just didn't process in her head - her mind was elsewhere.

_Deidara-sensei. My job. My life. Deidara-sensei. Itachi. Home. Deidara-sensei. Deidara-sensei. Deidara-sensei..._

She shook her head. He wasn't here, let alone her sensei. It was almost funny... Why would he -

"Reading was always one of your strong points." a voice said from the other side of the counter. Hinata's head snapped up in surprise. That voice was more familiar than Kevin's. This man was also wearing a hat, but everything about him was recognizable.

Except for his hair. It looked a bit raggedy, unevenly cut, under the hat.

"E-Excuse me...?" She said timidly, a small blush growing on her cheeks. He was beginning to look more and more like...

He took off his hat, ruffling his hair a bit. "I know its a bit different, but I'm still me." he looked at her expectantly, but she just sat there. "Oh, you didn't forget me already, did you?" He groaned playfully. He knew she remembered.

"Deidara... sensei." she whispered in disbelief.

Deidara looked her over observantly._ The bandages must be a new look_, he thought. They ran over her arms and down her legs, on her neck and one on her cheek. Before he could get a good look at the bandages, he felt her wrap her arms around him. Tightly. Then he heard her sobbing into his chest. He smiled, cupping the cheek that wasn't bandaged. "I missed you, Hinata." He said, kissing her softly on the lips. Hinata loosened her hug so that she could look at him.

"Your hair..." She touched it lightly, letting the shorter hair fall back to his face. He touched it a bit too. "They would've recognized me if I didn't cut it." he said. Hinata laughed lightly, hugging him again. "I'm so glad you're here, Deidara-sensei." She sighed. Deidara placed a hand on her head. "I'm not your sensei. Just call me Deidara." he stroked her hair, kissing the top of her head.

"Can you get off work? I want to talk with you." He asked, looking around the empty store. Hinata looked to the back, where her boss was sitting and watching them. He nodded to them, and Hinata smiled at him. "Thank you!" She called as they walked out the door.

"Do you want me to even this out for you?" She asked as they neared Deidara's hotel building. He shrugged. "Does it look that bad?" She nodded hesitantly. "Okay then."

On the way up to his room, they talked about Deidara's new career as an artist. He told her that being an artist was the easiest job ever - since you just did what you wanted on an easel and got paid for it. Hinata didn't talk much about what happened to her. She was just happy he was with her again.

"Okay. Here are the scissors. Work your magic." he chuckled, and Hinata smiled shyly. She began cutting, slowly and carefully. He watched his hair reluctantly as it fell to the floor. "It took a long time to grow this..." he sobbed playfully.

"Ow!" Hinata dropped the scissors. She accidentally cut her finger, and was now sucking on it to top the bleeding. "Are you alright?" he asked, standing up and looking at her cut. She winced in pain when he grabbed her wrist. His look got more concerned. "What happened? Are these real bandages?" he lightly stroked her arm. "O-Of course they are. Why would I put on fake ones?" She asked, reaching into her bag for a bandage to put on her finger. Suddenly, he started unwrapping the gauze from her arm. "H-Hey!" She tried pulling away, but he held her tighter.

"No, hold still." he hushed, studying her cuts carefully. She trembled a bit, so he made her sit down on the bed. "You didn't..." he began. Hinata furiously shook her head. "Then... Itachi..." he bit his lip, angered. _The bastard! _He yelled inwardly. Hinata turned her head so that she couldn't look at him. "I-it's okay. I'm fine now." She said unconvincingly.

Deidara looked at her, a pained expression on his face. "Why didn't you tell me? Where was Hidan when this happened?" he asked. At the sound of Hidan's name, she began sobbing. She thought of how Itachi killed him, and surprisingly of his nephew, Kevin. "H-Hidan-sensei... I-Itachi just..." Her sentence was lost in her bout of crying. Deidara's eyes widened. He sat beside her, in his hands her arm. "What... happened while I was gone?"

Hinata retold everything that happened after she called him five years ago. He told him how Hidan planned to marry her to keep her away from Itachi, how he really loved her, and how Itachi found out and shot him in the head. After the funeral, they got married and Itachi had been the posessive, abusive husband he was today. And to explain her cuts, she said that she got Itachi angry. That made Deidara grind his teeth together. "What a lunatic!" He shouted, gripping her hand tightly. Hinata yelped in pain. It was the hand with the deep gash, and it was bleeding again. "Oh! My god, Hinata, I'm sorry!" he tried wrapping the bandage around it again, but it didn't work. "I-It's fine, Deidara-sen-" She cut herself off from saying 'sensei'. Deidara, unable to think of anything else to do at the moment, brought her hand up to his lips. Her eyes widened with surprise, and her cheeks turned a dark red.

He licked the blood off his lips. Itachi had done the same thing, but Deidara made it right. And oddly sensual. Hinata looked away when he kissed her hand again. This time, she could feel, he intended for it to make her skin tingle. "I'm sorry I let this get so out of hand." he whispered, going down on one knee in front of her. He wasn't proposing, however. He was formally apologizing. Hinata moved her hand away from his grip and tried pulling him back up to her level. Her hand stung, and she winced again. Deidara took her hand and kissed it more, this time moving up her arm and removing her bandages. Hinata blushed. All her cuts were being exposed, and he was kissing each and every one of them.

"Hinata..." he sighed. He was up at her shoulder. His other hand began removing her shirt. "Ah... D-D... Deidara... It's not th-that big a d-deal..." she failed at trying to not sound needy or turned on. Deidara stood up a little, hovering over her on the bed. She lay down as he advanced on her. He kissed the cuts on her other arm and her now exposed abdomen. There was an unbandaged cut on her side, and another on her stomach. "Why didn't you call the police? He hurt you so much." He asked as he kissed her neck and collarbone. She calmed herself down a bit to answer. "He... has... power over... everyone..." she panted, gripping the sheets in anticipation. He shook his head as he fingered the bandages on her legs.

Deidara leaned down and kissed her lips, and brought her up higher on the bed. "I'm sorry I wasn't there." he apologized, beginning to remove his shirt. "I don't even deserve to do this to you." His hands stroked her sides and her cuts. She stiffened, and her light moaning was beginning to turn him on. "D...Deidara... sen..." She trailed off, and he kissed her neck again. "I love you, Hinata." He said in a husky voice, sliding his fingers into her pants and removing them. He kissed her again, and she buried her hands in his shortened hair.

She thought, briefly, that his longer hair would have been more fun to play with.

--

When Hinata woke up, it was late at night. Deidara was already awake, with his arm around her naked body and his hand fingering the many cuts hidden on her body. After tracing every cut on her body, he let his fingers brush over her cheek. She looked up at him, and his pained expression from before returned. "How could he do this...?" His hand returned to the cuts on her neck and collarbone. She cupped his face and kissed him. "I'm okay. Really." He shook his head. "People like him need to be arrested." he muttered, tracing her body and kissing her again.

Hinata smiled, wrapping her arms around his neck. Then, suddenly, like a spark of lightning, it hit her that she just slept with a man she wasn't married to. _While_she was married to someone else. "Oh my god." She gasped, sitting upright in bed. Almost reflexively, she brought the blanket up to cover her chest. "What?" Deidara asked, sitting up with her and wrapping an arm around her waist. She started gathering all her clothes together, getting out of bed with a dark red tint on her cheeks. "I'm married, Deidara." She turned an even darker red. She had started calling Deidara by his name when... well, when they were having sex.

Deidara smiled a little when she said his name, but still kept the seriousness of her situation. "To who?" he asked, though he already knew the answer. Hinata stopped buttoning up her shirt. She looked up at Deidara, an uncomfortable look on her face. "Itachi." She said the name with pure distaste. After a moment, she started changing again. "But... That doesn't change the fact that I'm legally bound to him. Not to mention morally wrong." Deidara huffed and started putting on his pants. "So are you saying you didn't like it?" He had to admit, five years apart did something to their relationship. Hinata didn't stop gathering her things. "Deidara, of course I liked it. There's nothing in the world I'd rather do - literally - than be with you." He wrapped his arms around her as she brushed her hair. "Then stay, my love." he kissed her neck.

Hinata groaned inwardly. Did he have any idea what position he was putting her in? "Deidara..." she hoped he would understand. She hoped with all her soul.

Deidara looked at her through the mirror. After a few minutes, he let go of her. "Okay. I understand." He held his hands up in the air in surrender. Hinata could swear she could orgasm. He was the right guy. She knew it.

Hinata jumped on him, hugging him tightly and kissing him heatedly. "I'd do you again if I had the chance." She said, suddenly fiesty. Deidara smirked and wrapped his arms around her waist. "I was the one doing _you,_ my dear." he chuckled and kissed her again before letting her go.

As Hinata continued brushing her hair, Deidara looked out the window. It _was_ dark, and it _was _unsafe... "Hinata, maybe I should drive you home." He said uneasily, looking out onto the sidewalk. Sure enough, there was a prowler there, loitering. Hinata walked up beside him and nodded. "That's just scary, a guy outside your hotel." she said softly, stroking her hair to even it out. She soon got ready, and the two headed out for Deidara's car.

"You still have this piece of junk?" Hinata eased herself into the front seat. "Junk?" Deidara patted the dashboard lovingly. "It's okay, she didn't mean it." He smiled at her - or was it the car? Hinata giggled. He jerked himself back to his seat, embarrassed. "Let's go." he started the car and began driving.

Hinata told Deidara to park a block away from her house. She gave him a small kiss on the cheek. "Will I see you again... tomorrow?" She asked. Deidara winked at her. "You got it." he clicked his tongue, and Hinata blushed. "Good night, sweetheart." He blew her a kiss, and she rolled her eyes. She closed the door and began walking. After she was well ahead of him on the sidewalk, he slowly - but not slow enough to arouse suspicion - drove alongside her. She pretended to not notice, but held a smile all the same.

As she expected, Itachi was waiting for her in their living room.

And, she realized, she had no excuse prepared.

-:-

Blaaaah!

I'M GRADUATING TOMORROW! HOLY SHIZNIT!

(Stepping up to High School! Is it scary? o_O)


	15. Chapter 15

(A/N) Gaahina () : He'd find that kinky XP

-:-

Deidara strode back to his bed and began cleaning up. The sheet still held her scent, and he took a small whiff before blushing and throwing it back onto the bed. _She is so beautiful, _he thought wistfully. He looked over the messed sheets and slowly recollected last night. Her smell, her movements, her sounds... everything about her just drove him insane with love. He was glad that he came back.

However, he wasn't too happy about how he let Hinata's future go haywire. Because he left, he got Hidan killed and let Itachi take over his girlfriend. He felt terribly guilty for both.

The clock in the room started playing a tune. It was 7, and the hotel's residents were waking up for the day. Deidara, instead, crawled back into the Hinata-scented sheets and slept.

-:-

"Where have you been, love?" Itachi walked up to Hinata and greeted her at the door. "It's terribly late, and I'm afraid I couldn't sleep without you by my side." He wrapped his arm tightly around her waist, and she moved uncomfortably in his grasp. He led her to the bedroom. "Certainly you didn't go to work - you're still bruised up from your fall down the stairs." At this, he gripped her incredibly tight, and the cuts on her sides began to bleed. "A-Ah... Ow!" She started pushing him away as he closed the door to their room behind them.

"Hinata, you weren't with that Deidara kid, were you? I heard that he was back in town, and I do hope he didn't find you." He observed the work he did on her arms, nodding approvingly. Absently, he scratched at the developing scabs, and she groaned in pain. "And I most certainly hope that you didn't _sleep _with him, as my sources say he did." He completely ripped the scab off of one cut, and blood immediately gushed out. He licked the blood, looking like he was getting some kind of sensual pleasure out of it. "Because I think that I'm the only good one for you, no matter what you think." Hinata had tears rolling down her cheeks. He buried his face in her neck, inhaling deeply. "Hmm... You _do _smell like sex. Perhaps I was wrong in hoping that you didn't sleep with another man."

Itachi continued to rip off the scabs of her healing wounds, opening them up again. She kept screaming in pain, and didn't notice when he pushed her onto the bed. "Am I not good enough for you? Is it because I didn't _fuck _you when we first got married?" he held an oddly pained look as he cupped her face. His other hand scraped at her legs. She was getting blood all over the sheets. He smelled her arm. He sighed at the smell of fresh blood. "You're so beautiful, darling. Perhaps Deidara _raped_ you. Any man would hunt down a fine woman such as yourself. He squeezed her breast through her shirt. She unintentionally groaned. He smirked.

"Maybe I _have _neglected you. I'm so sorry, my love. I'll make sure you never have to face the loneliness I have displayed to you for so many years. Tonight, we become what couples all over the world have done to _come_ closer together." He swiftly removed her shirt, then lightly traced her with his lips.

"N...No..." Hinata's inaudible voice carried no farther than her bruised lips.

--

Hinata wasn't allowed out of the house after that. Itachi told her that it was for her own safety, since he was sure that she was carrying his child now. But Hinata could tell that it was because Deidara was back in town. Or the chance that it was _his_c hild inside of her. Either way, she found herself absently stroking her stomach as she stared out the window. She watched Itachi walk out of the house and wave back at her fondly, and for a minute he was the nicest guy in the world.

Only a minute.

His wicked smile made its way onto his face, and unfortunately Hinata caught it in her eye before he slid into his car and drove off.

Sighing, she stopped touching her stomach, which, for all she knew, held a strange combination of both Itachi and Deidara's child, and walked towards the door. She wandered the halls and explored the rooms she hadn't seen before. It just hit her that they were living in a mansion, and that they had many maids and butlers. Did she do any kind of work while she was zoning out of her life?

There was a man walking down the hall opposite her, and he smiled and nodded. Hinata noticed something strange about the man. You know, besides the fact that he was... well... blue. And had gills. And looked like a fish in general.

Hinata forced herself to stop and look at him, and he did the same.

"Is something the matter, Hinata-sama?" He had a raspy voice as well. Hinata stared at him in confusion. "Um..." She searched her head for his name. "K...Kisame-san?" She stepped closer to him, and he grinned. "At your service, ma'am." he bowed slightly and chuckled. She played with her fingers in thought. "Could you... take me around the... m-mansion?" She asked hesitantly. Kisame stared at her for a minute before sighing and laughing. "Haha, sure. I thought you were going to give me some sort of hard task - like cleaning the bathrooms, or seeking out the best wine for something or other." He scratched the back of his head.

As they cruised down the hall, Kisame kept up small talk with the mistress who didn't talk to him much since they met. "So, Hinata-sama, what makes you want to explore the mansion?" Hinata stared with interest at an original piece of artwork displayed on the wall. "I don't... remember. The mansion, I mean." They walked out to the balcony and sat down at the tables for tea. Kisame didn't have any, even though she offered him some. "What do you mean, you don't remember?" he asked, sitting across from her. Hinata sighed a little and set down her cup.

"Can I tell you the whole story?" She asked in a whisper. "Can I trust you, Kisame-san?" she glanced at him. He shook his head. "I'm Itachi's right hand man. I'm not allowed to keep secrets, if that's what you're asking." He paused to look at her. She looked about ready to cry.

"... But that's when I'm his butler. As a person, however..." Her head snapped up to look at him, a tear falling down her cheek. "Kisame-san..." He grinned at her, and she started sobbing. "I don't love Itachi." She started. "I love another person... and he loves me, and shows it in a more... appropriate way than Itachi does." She absently fingered the bandages on her arms. Kisame watched her. "Itachi... he's abusive, possessive, and I don't know if he loves me for sure." she began to sob a little harder. "He... He took someone away from me. Someone important - that I loved as a dear, dear friend." she looked down, and as her tears seeped through the bandages, her cuts stung. "Abusive because... Well, look." She slid off the bandages and showed Kisame her right arm. His eyes widened with new found concern.

"Hinata-sama, butler or not, this is unacceptable - even if it's Itachi-sama." he said, observing her arm carefully. "These could get infected - or worse." Hinata gently pulled her arm away from him. "It doesn't matter. I got to see Deidara again... after so long." Kisame tilted his head to the side. "Deidara is... the one I really love." she smiled a little. "We made love in his hotel room not too long ago. Itachi found out... and... well, I guess we made love, too." Her eyes traveled down her arms and legs. "I'm not sure whose baby I'm carrying. It's all so, so complicated." she sighed.

Kisame studied her a little more. "And now he hasn't allowed you to leave the house, right?" he added for confirmation. Hinata whispered a small yes, and her tears slowed to a stop. After a considerable amount of silence, Kisame stood up. He took his towel and started wiping her tears away with it. "Hinata-sama, I want to help you." he said softly, helping her stand up. She shook her head. "No. I'm done relying on someone for help. It only causes pain." She whispered. All the guilt she felt before was resurfacing, and it was overwhelming. She held onto Kisame for support and sobbed into his chest. "There's nothing you can do, Kisame-san. Itachi's just... too much." She realized that she couldn't even rely on Deidara for protection from Itachi - he was the one who left her vulnerable in the first place! If Deidara hadn't left, she'd have Sasori as a friend, and Hidan would still be alive! Itachi would have no real way of getting to her, and...

For the first time, she was angry at Deidara.

Hinata gripped Kisame's shirt in frustration. It didn't feel right, being angry at Deidara. She wasn't leaning on Itachi, but the realization made her unappreciative of Deidara's decision.

She had to see him, before this anger developed any further.

-:-

Deidara paced around the room, glancing periodically at the phone that sat on the coffee table. It vibrated occasionally with a text from Sasori, but that wasn't why he was staring at it. He was debating on two options he gave himself - calling Hinata, or not. It was a particularly difficult task because of her situation. He didn't know if he was allowed to call, or if she even had her phone, or if Itachi had her phone, or if a spy had her phone... There were too many factors to think about. So many things that could put either of them in serious trouble.

He needed to call her because:

A) He may or may not have gotten her pregnant.

B) He wanted to make sure she wasn't.

C) He wanted to hear her voice again. Saying that she wasn't pregnant.

D) All of the above.

E) Holy shit, I totally got her pregnant.

Or,

F) What the hell do I do now?

Deidara sat down on the couch for only a second before hopping up and walking around again. Once or twice he even _reached_ for the phone. Then, finally, the phone rang, signaling that someone was calling _him. _It was Sasori.

_"Are you even _reading_ my texts?" _He asked, annoyed. Deidara sighed. "I have to tell you something."

After a few minutes of deep explanations, the phone fell silent.

"Sasori?"

_"Dude, you totally got her pregnant."_

Deidara groaned. "Well, what do I do now? We can't have a _baby_, now of all times!" he slapped his forehead. _"Why not? We're rich, famous, and almost powerful."_ He had a point. "I mean, she's married, grown up, and some guy from a different town fucked her and now she's pregnant with her not-husband's baby! How does that look? What will her _parents_ think? By god, if I didn't already ruin her life, I just made it worse!"

_"Just call her._" and he hung up.

-:-

Hinata felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She let go of Kisame and answered it. "Hello?"

_"...Hinata?"_

She froze. Kisame looked at her, worried.

_"Hinata. We need to talk. Can I come over? Or can you come over here?" _Hinata looked at Kisame. "S-Sure. I-I-I'll go to your place." she started walking down the hall, pretending to be on the phone with Itachi.

_"You see, it's just that... well, you know a couple nights ago..."_

"Uh-huh."

_"And I just wanted to know if you were..."_

"Yeah."

_"So I guess when you have the time..."_

"I'm on my way."

Hinata hung up the phone and - very professionally - snapped her fingers and called Kisame to her side. "Itachi wants to see me at the office." she gave him a look, and he nodded. They walked to the garage, where Kisame drove her to the hotel a few blocks down. Deidara was waiting for her at the door. As her eyes looked him over, the anger she felt before started bubbling inside of her.

"Hinata, I-"

"Deidara! I'm angry with you!" Hinata said suddenly. Deidara stared at her in confusion. "Um... Why-" Hinata cut him off, stepping closer to get in his face. "Because... Because...!!" She lost the words. Slightly embarrassed, she began pushing Deidara into the hotel, leaving Kisame outside in the car. When they got into the hotel room, she slammed the door closed and glared at Deidara.

"I-I'm angry because you left!" She shrieked, though the walls were far from sound proof.

Confused, Deidara moved to touch her. She backed away. "I didn't go anywhere, Hinata. I was in the hotel all day yesterday and -" Hinata furiously shook her head. "No! Five years ago!" She stomped towards him, each step he backed away. She looked about ready to hit him - and if he didn't know better, she would have. When she finally had him backed to the wall, he found a way to grip her shoulders. "Hinata, I thought we got over this." He asked, moving strands of her hair away from her face. She shook them back, just to spite him. He frowned. "You're being childish, you know." He huffed.

"If you hadn't left, none of this would have happened!" Hinata clenched her hands into fists. "If you stayed," she started to think about all the things she listed before. "Hidan-sensei would still be here! Alive!" She felt a tear fall down her cheek. "I wouldn't be married to Itachi! I wouldn't be... be... be _broken_ because of him! Because of _you!"_Hinata wiped her tear away, only to leave room for another. And another. Deidara started wiping her face, even though he felt as though he might cry. Having her yell at him about these things... it hurt a lot. He bit his lip as she continued to scream the truth at him.

The truth because... well, it was true. If he stayed, everything would be okay. But... How far could she go with his reputation back then? Deidara started building up his argument.

"If you hadn't left, I-" Deidara pressed a finger to her lips. "Enough! Hinata, we've been over this. I left because I would have caused you nothing but trouble." She tried to scoff, but it turned into a small sob. She wiped away another bout of tears. She hated feeling this weak after feeling so... so... was it powerful?

"If I stayed, true, Hidan would be alive, and Itachi wouldn't be your husband. But then who'd you be married to? I low-life hick who couldn't get a job and relied on his wife - of all things - to put food on the table." Hinata looked away from him. He was right. He tilted her head up to look at him. "After hearing all that's happened, I've felt guilty. I knew it was my fault, but honestly, you're more important to me than Hidan was." He let his other hand lightly grasp the back of her head. "If I'm so important, why'd you let Itachi do these things to me?" She whispered. Deidara let her go. "You have no idea! You don't get it, Hinata!" He snapped. She stepped back in surprise. "You mean the world to me. It wasn't like I could barge into your house and tell your parents to call the wedding off! Who am I to ask that?" He walked away from her, running a hand through his hair. "And If I told them about our love story, what would they say? Back then - I don't remember, but - I was either your teacher or the one who faked his age to _be _your teacher."

Deidara turned abruptly to her. "Itachi was right - he could take better care of you. Look at where marrying him has gotten you; A warm, safe home. Money. A job. Everything I couldn't possibly dream of supplying for you if I stayed with you so long ago." He walked back to her, standing close enough to emphasize that he couldn't hug her. "And the sad thing is, if I stayed with you, this entire argument would be about me not being able to take care of you. So everything that happened was necessary for you to be happy."

Hinata looked at him helplessly. "But I'm _not_happy, Deidara. And I guess that's why I'm yelling at you. Because you _didn't_ make me happy. I guess it doesn't matter that you stayed or not. I'm still yelling at you because you couldn't take care of me."

Things were silent for a while. They stared at each other, and outside it began to rain. For the briefest of moments, Hinata wished Kisame had come inside to keep warm. But those things didn't matter, and she was almost sure that he could breath underwater if Kisame wanted to.

"Deidara, why did we make love that night?" Hinata moved to the couch and plopped down. Deidara stared at her. "Because." He smirked a bit at the nostalgia he felt. "Why?" she repeated, betraying herself with a small smile. "Why do you think?" He pulled her off the couch. "Because... you're... changing... the subject..." He kissed her passionately, and she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I'm sorry, Hinata. I couldn't protect you, like I should have." He said softly against her neck. "No, Deidara. It's okay. You were right." She began to cry again, and he held her tightly.

Hinata thought about Itachi, oddly. And how they had sex right after she and Deidara had. It was almost as if her mind were telling her that Deidara needed to know this. But how could she bring it up? They just made up after a fight. Would he be angry with her? Would he drop her right now and walk away? Would he throw her out the window!?

"Deidara... I have to tell you something."

--

Deidara froze.

Was she talking about being pregnant?

If so, he already knew.

But what if that wasn't it?

-:-

Sorry for the awkward cliffhanger.

I GRADUATED.

NOW I'M LIKE, SMART AND STUFF.


	16. Chapter 16

"You and Itachi _what?"_

Hinata winced and closed her eyes tightly. She just _knew _he'd be angry. "I-I'm sorry... I-It's just that... I-Itachi was..." she opened one eye and watched him pace nervously around the room.

_Okay, she's not pregnant. Well, she might be, but that wasn't the news she had to tell me. It was something far more worse, scary, worrisome, unwholesome, than I expected. Itachi apparently had SEX with her right after _I _had sex with her and now she feels guilty. But what does that do to our potential baby? Does that make it _his _baby? Or am I still going to have a little blond-or-blue-haired kid running around the house a few years from now?_

Deidara stopped when he noticed Hinata staring at the floor. And then, eventually, him. He heard her apologizing, and his mind rushed to correct the situation. "No! No, Hinata, it's fine! Well, it's not fine, but I'm okay with it! Well, not _okay, _but..." He stopped himself. Hinata looked at him, confused. "You don't need to apologize." he said, finally. "I understand that Itachi... forced you into it." Hinata fiddled with her thumbs and looked down. "Th... That's not all I'm... concerned about, Deidara."

Now, she didn't exactly take a test, but she felt a bit odd inside. She meant to take a test later, but since she's technically under house arrest, she couldn't go out and buy one.

"Deidara... how would you feel if...you got me pregnant?" Hinata looked at him with a pleading look. Deidara stared back, then, after a while, smiled at her reassuringly. "I'd feel like the luckiest guy on earth to have you bear my child." He cleared his throat from the awkwardness of that sentence. "I'd do all I can to support you. But right now, unfortunately, it'll complicate things." he pulled her into another hug, kissing her head softly. "Now, is that all the surprises you have for me today?" he chuckled and let her go. Hinata nodded and smiled. "Thank you so much for understanding, Deidara." She leaned up and kissed his cheek. "I love you."

Deidara walked Hinata out of the hotel and to the car waiting in the parking lot. He nodded awkwardly at Kisame, who casually did the same. "Thanks for waiting, Kisame-san." Hinata said, stepping into the car. After saying their good-byes, they waved at each other until the car was out of sight. And, as Deidara walked back into the hotel, he thought,

_That man looked like a fish._

-:-

A few months passed, and Hinata was already getting bigger by the day. She walked when she could, but most of the time she sat near a window and read a book, listening to soft music (sometimes, she'd let the baby listen by putting the headphones on her stomach.) She hoped the baby liked music.

Kisame would often join her, as would Itachi. Itachi's time, which was usually occupied by work or other things, was appreciated by Hinata, since he was at least willing to show that he actually cared for the child. He'd even keep the maniacal smiling and physical rape threats to a minimum, which made Hinata rest easy.

Today, however, was a day that neither Kisame or Itachi could join her. There was a big business opportunity that simply could not be ignored. Almost every successful businessman was going to meet at the Konoha Trade Center, where many companies were willing to share... well, something. Hinata didn't quite get it herself, but she understood that Itachi had to leave and that Kisame was requested to accompany him. _It's such a shame,_ she thought, _that I have no one to enjoy this beautiful day with._ As if reading her thoughts, the baby in her stomach kicked her lightly. She chuckled, even though it hurt a bit. "Except for you, of course, baby." She stroked her stomach gently and smiled.

Her attention was brought back to the window, where she heard a light ringing sound. It was a pretty sound, that mesmerized her into looking at the sky. After a few seconds it would stop, and then start again. What a peculiar sound. Familiar, too. And, after a bit of thought, it sounded a bit... cellular. Like a ringtone. A ringone... to a cell phone. Upstairs.

Her cell phone was ringing!

Hinata stood up abruptly, then, in sudden pain, sat back down. She'd have to take this slowly.

She carefully walked across the hall and up the stairs, staying near the wall and railing for support. When she finally reached her room, she found her cell phone in a box in the far corner of her walk-in closet. She brought it to the small couch in her closet and sat down, sighing with relief. Then she checked her missed call.

_Deidara._

Smiling, Hinata called him back.

_"Hinata? Why didn't you answer?"_

"Did you forget that I was pregnant? 6 months in, and my phone was upstairs. We don't have elevators." Hinata could practically hear him stiffen a little. _"Oh my god, I'm sorry! I didn't mean for you to exhert yourself! Are you alright? Did you get hurt? I'm sorry!" _He slurred all the words together, and Hinata laughed, making him stop. "I'm okay, Deidara. You don't have to worry." Deidara sighed with relief. "So why did you call?" she asked.

_"Well, I wanted to take you somewhere. Sasori told me that he was going to this business thing, and that Itachi would be there too. So I thought it would be easier for us to... you know, go out." _He sounded sheepish, which made him cuter than he already was. Hinata smiled, blushing a little. "I'd love to go, Deidara." He sounded happy. _"Great! I'll be at your house in five minutes, okay?" _Hinata nodded, then said "Yes." They hung up, and Hinata stood up, beginning her endeavor to get dressed and go back downstairs.

-:-

"So, Kisame, what has my darling wife been doing lately? Anything I should know about?" Itachi was generally excited to be going to this business event. But, in his mind, his wife always came first. Even when he was on his way to his 'second'.

Upon hearing this question, Kisame visibly stiffened up, arousing suspicion. "Kisame? _Is _there something?" Itachi allowed himself to look surprised. Kisame was one of his best butlers and most of all his best friend. (Even he had to admit that he and Hinata weren't on the best of terms). "You're my most trusted of employees, you know. I can tell you anything, and you should tell _me_everything." Kisame looked away, which was a bad move that even he had to acknowledge. "Nothing's wrong, Itachi-sama. Hinata is fine." Itachi smirked a bit; he knew something was up, and he caught Kisame with the guilt trip very nicely. He gripped Kisame's arm, and made him look straight into his eyes, which had turned a blazing red.

"Tell me."

Kisame took one more glance outside, then mentally apologized to Hinata. "She's... been seeing Deidara in secret. While you were at work." he bit his lip. Itachi smiled a little. "That's not all, is it?" Kisame nodded vigorously. "That's all I know." He was never much of a liar, except when it was giving blind compliments. Oh, he shouldn't have told Hinata he could keep a secret! Itachi's grip tightened, and Kisame was forced to tell him everything.

"She... might not be carrying... y-your child." Itachi's eyes widened, his grip loosening. He looked, for the first time, disappointed. He looked extremely unhappy. "And she told you this herself?" he asked, shakily at first. Kisame nodded. Itachi looked depressed - he was beginning to look older than he really was. "Well, whose child _is _it, then, Kisame?" He was staring blankly out the window. "I don't know... Perhaps... Dei-"

The car stopped, and Itachi quickly stepped outside. "Nevermind, don't tell me. I'll just try to get through the day without killing anybody."

Kisame couldn't tell if that was a joke or not.

--

Sasori stepped out of his car, dusting himself off. He didn't realize that he hadn't used the Air-Con in his car in over two years. When he turned it on, dust circulated in the car and stayed there until he opened the windows. He coughed a little, and a dust clump came out. Disturbed, he hoped no one else saw that and continued on his way.

Then, at the entrance, he saw a bunch of paparazzi crowding two individuals. Getting a closer look, he realized that it was Itachi. Sasori took out his cell phone and took a picture, immediately sending it to Deidara.

_Who the hell is that fish guy?_

-:-

Deidara looked at his phone as it vibrated with a text message. He laughed when he read the text, looking at the picture of the same guy he saw last night. Before he could reply, he saw Hinata stepping out of the house gates, looking exhausted. Alarmed, he hurried out of the car and towards her, holding her up with his arm. "Oh, I did it again, didn't I? Making you do all this work. I'm just terrible." He helped her into the car and kissed her cheek quickly before walking to the driver's seat.

"It's okay. Where are we going?" Hinata leaned back comfortably in her seat. "Oh, I don't know. I wanted to spend the day with you, I guess." Deidara scratched the back of his head. "Where do you want to go?" he asked. She thought a moment, then said, "That one place. We had one of our dates there... uh..." She thought a little more. "Which one?" Deidara started the car. "Um... The one with the sunset. I remember we spent the whole day there..." She didn't notice how Deidara began driving. "What was the place? It was a cliff, for sure." He smiled and parked the car in a parking lot in front of a jungle gym and swings.

"Here?" Deidara opened Hinata's door, and she blushed, surprised. "Exactly." she looked around, holding on to Deidara for support, even though she said she could walk herself. "Well, it's not sunset, so maybe we could just... play for a little. You know, swings and slides." He brought her to one of the swings, making sure she was comfortable. "Ready?" He pushed her gently, letting her hair run through her fingers as she swung forward. She giggled at that. "Your hair is really... silky. Did you know that?" He kept pushing her just to feel her hair. "I wouldn't say silky, Deidara. Soft, maybe, but silky's taking it a bit too far." Deidara stopped the swing, making her gasp in surprise. "Silky is the understatement. Your hair is lovely, Hinata." He kissed her hair, then her cheek.

Hinata smiled, then gripped her stomach in pain. "What? What happened?" Deidara put a hand over her stomach, then quickly pulled away. "Do you want to sit down? Like, on a bench?" He helped her to one of the benches, wrapping an arm around her shoulders when they sat down. Hinata managed a smile again. "I-It's nothing. The baby's going to be a soccer player, I know that - it kicks so hard." she rubbed her stomach, and Deidara tried touching it again. Freaked out, he pulled away just as quickly. "Are you sure that's a baby? It feels like there's an alien in there." He studied his hand, then Hinata. She laughed. "Its kicking so hard because you made my heart beat faster. You're such a charmer, Deidara." She kissed his cheek. He laughed a little.

After a while, the baby stopped kicking, and the two were able to relax on the grass. It was getting late, and it became so peaceful that all their worries seemed to disappear with the day.

"What are you going to call it if its a boy?" Deidara asked as he watched the sky slowly turn orange. Hinata shrugged. "I was thinking about... Yuki. But I guess it all depends on Itachi's answer." She felt him frown a little as he hugged her. His lips pressed to her shoulder, and he stared at her neck blankly. "What if it's _our _kid?" he asked, muffled by the fabric of her small sweater. She put a hand on his arm. "I'd name it Yuki. Because I was thinking of the baby as our child. Not Itachi's." His frown still remained, but it seemed to loosen up a bit. "Would you still love the kid, even if it weren't mine?" Hinata nodded. "Of course. Either way, it's still my child." This time, surprisingly, she felt him smile. He moved his chin up so that it was over her shoulder. "Were you expecting a different answer?" she asked as he kissed her cheek. "No. I'm glad you're going to love the baby." he said softly. She rolled her eyes. "You don't make any sense." she tilted her face away from him so that he could kiss her neck.

"Well, I want you to love it, because if it's not mine, I won't love it."

Hinata turned to stare at him. "Why..." She thought about it before saying anything more. It made sense that Deidara wouldn't love the baby. It wasn't his, and he wouldn't be the father, so what was the point in dividing his love between the two people? (The baby and Hinata, that is). And the child would be a constant reminder that Itachi made love to her after he did, and it would be a constant reminder of what happened before. How could he love something that made him remember such things? When she looked back at Deidara, he was giving her a look that repeated all the things she thought of. "Well, it makes sense... I suppose." She wanted to sit up, and Deidara helped her.

"Let's... go see the sunset. Okay?"

-:-

The business event was over, and Sasori walked out of the building, happy. His goal was to gain enough money to help Hinata with her baby and maybe move in with him and Deidara (depending on some circumstances, of course). He had not only reached this goal, but surpassed it on so many levels. He was so happy, that, since they were both in town, he decided to drop by Deidara and Hinata for a visit. He pulled out his phone and dialed Deidara's number as he walked out to his car.

--

Itachi didn't look as happy as he should have. He had gotten many branches for his company, which would make him considerably richer, but he still looked... _morose._ He knew that all the money in the world could buy his wife's love.

Kisame trailed behind Itachi, a guilty expression on his face. He wasn't sure if it was because he gave Hinata away, or if it was because he gave Hinata away and made Itachi look this miserable.

Over the crowd, only one voice - one name - drifted over into Itachi's ears.

"Deidara?"

Itachi stopped, also stopping several other people in their tracks. He turned and watched as Sasori, a familiar red-headed figure, walked to his car. He grabbed Kisame by the arm and dragged him into the car, telling the chauffeur to follow Sasori's car.

-:-

As they were walking, Deidara felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Sasori was calling.

"Hello?"

_"Deidara?" _

There was a lot of background noise - like people talking and walking and making a big deal. "It's loud over there - you finish your business-thing-a-mah-bobber?" Deidara asked. _"Oh yeah." _- The sound of a car door closing - _"I can get a lot of money now - Enough to help Hinata with the baby - and maybe move in! Circumstance depending, of course."_ Deidara smiled. "Great! That's awesome, Sasori." He glanced at Hinata and grinned, and she smiled back. _"Oh - and where are you? I'm in town, so I thought I'd drop by." _

Deidara gave Sasori their location, unknowing of the limousine following his friend a few cars behind.

-:-

I JUST KILLED A SPIDER ON MY BED WITH THIS LAPTOP WHAT DO I DO I'M SCARED OF SPIDERS OH MY GOD WHAT DO I DO I DON'T HAVE PAPER TOWELS AAAAAGHH.

In other news,

HOLY _**SHIT**_ I HATE SPIDERS. I LIVE IN THE BASEMENT AND SUMMER'S WHEN THEY COME IN THE HOUSE TO COOL OFF WHICH I DON'T APPRECIATE VERY MUCH SINCE I LIVE IN THE COOLEST (LITERALLY) ROOM IN THE ENTIRE HOUSE.

I'M GOING TO DIE.

Oh, and this story's going to end soon ._.


	17. Chapter 17

Okay, so I used my little guitar pamphlet to pinch the spider's corpse and drop it into the garbage can.

I was screaming the whole time.

So fucking scary.

-:-

Sasori walked out to meet Deidara at the entrance to the wood trail. Hinata was waiting for them, sitting on the grass near the cliff, where the sun was slowly waiting to set.

Itachi closed the small curtain hanging from the window and gave a short sigh. He glanced at Kisame, and then back out the window. "A few more minutes." he muttered, more to himself than anyone else in the limo. He watched as Deidara and Sasori started walking down the trail, and soon out of sight. After a few more minutes, like he said, he stepped out of the limousine, Kisame following behind him.

"What are you planning to do, Itachi-sama?" he asked. "They had one of their dates here. Back when they were teenagers, when I first wanted to marry her. I was there, on their date. I was following her. I still remember the bush I hid in while they kissed and hugged and all that junk..." Kisame began to feel nervous. Was it just him, or was Itachi rambling? He was sweating a little, too. He had a different expression on his face - one he'd never used before. Desperation.

"I remember wanting to just jump up and - bam - whack Deidara on the head and..." Kisame bumped into him when he suddenly stopped. Itachi's shoulders slumped, his eyes staring at Hinata in awe. "She's gotten so big. Do you see that, Kisame? A child is in that stomach." He began walking towards the three at the cliff, and it was Hinata who first noticed him. She was hugging Deidara and Sasori, and when she saw his black suit, she let them go.

"Itachi..." Her beautiful voice rang in his ears. "She's calling me, Kisame. Do you hear it?" He had a childish smile on his face for half a second before it faded into a frown. His wife was always first, but when the second started flowing into his line of vision, his happiness faded. She was hugging Deidara. She was kissing him. She loved him.

_But she doesn't love me._

-:-

"Sasori!" Hinata smiled and waved, a hand protectively over her stomach. "I can't believe it! It's been so long." Sasori grinned, holding out his arms to hug her. "My god, you're so big. Is it okay for you to be out here like this?" he asked, touching her stomach lightly. She giggled. "I'm fine. Deidara's here, anyway." She hugged him, and Sasori hugged both of them in a group hug.

Suddenly, against their chests, they felt the baby kicking. Hard. Hinata let go of them and put both hands on her stomach. Then, sensing the baby's concern, she looked up.

Standing there, on the trail, was Itachi.

And he had the best smile on his face.

"Itachi..." She whispered just loud enough for Deidara and Sasori to hear. Upon hearing his name, they turned, protectively hiding Hinata behind them. The baby was kicking very hard, and Hinata had to lean on Deidara for support.

Itachi's magnificent smile faded, and he walked up to the three. Kisame was behind him, nervously glancing at Hinata. She looked like she was in a lot of pain. But the strange thing was that she seemed to like it.

"Hinata... Dear, are you alright?" Ignoring Deidara and Sasori (not to mention pushing them aside), he touched Hinata on her shoulders. "Does it hurt?" He was about to place a hand on her stomach, but Deidara grabbed him by the wrist. "Don't touch her anymore." he said fiercely. Itachi held a slightly smug look. "She's my wife. I can touch her whenever I want." Deidara pushed him away and held up Hinata's arm for him to see.

"Itachi. Do you remember these?" He gently ran a finger down Hinata's old cuts. They were mere scars now, healing. "Do you remember how you hurt her? How you've hit, cut, and _raped _her?" He let Hinata's hand go before he squeezed it in anger. "Do you!?" Hinata placed a hand on Deidara's shoulder to calm him down. He was about ready to pummel Itachi. "Yes." was his simple reply. After a few minutes, he stepped back a few steps. He took a deep breath, and suddenly,

"BUT YOU'VE BEEN _CHEATING _ON ME!" his yell echoed over the hills and in the canyon below. Everyone winced, and Hinata shook with fear. "Hinata, you don't _love _me!!" He pointed an accusing finger at her. He stomped towards her, and Deidara wrapped a protective arm over her. Itachi shoved him away. "Deidara-" Hinata was caught by the throat and was forced to look into Itachi's eyes. "I love you, Hinata. I love you, so I married you. I took care of you, I loved you like every good husband should have. But now, you give me no choice but to hurt you." He let go of her neck and gripped her shoulder instead.

"If it weren't for me, you would be living on the streets, on your own, and no one would be there to help you." He gripped her neck again, this time with both hands and lifted her up. Deidara was just about ready to tackle Itachi, but stopped himself. They _were _by a cliff. It was dangerous enough lifting a pregnant woman by her neck. "Itachi... put her down." Sasori said, trying to calm Itachi down. "She can't talk to you if you hold her like that." He reasoned, taking a careful step towards them. Itachi looked at him, then Kisame, then Deidara. He gently put Hinata back on the ground, but still kept his hands around her neck.

"Tell me you love me, Hinata." His tone was gentle and pleading. Hinata closed her eyes and placed her hands over his. "I know I didn't treat you like it, but I really do love you. With all my heart and soul - I have never felt more alive being next to you every day." Hinata thought that what he was saying was very sweet, but... "I hit and hurt you so many times, but its only because I can't stand the thought of anybody else touching you." His thumb caressed her cheek and his grip on her neck loosened ever so slightly. "I want to be the only man to touch you. I want to be the only one who hugs you, kisses you, loves you..." He brought her close to him.

"Hinata, do you love me?"

Hinata looked downward, then at Deidara, who was uneasy because they were standing considerably close to the edge of the cliff. The slightest jerk of surprise from either of them could...

She thought for a long time. Then, she brought her hands up to his face. "Itachi... I don't... I can't... I don't think I can love someone... more than I do... Deidara." Itachi closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He gave her a kiss, then, suddenly, twirled them around so that his back was to the edge of the cliff. Hinata held onto his arms tightly, fearing that he might fall. "I love you, Hinata." He held her bulging stomach, gently stroking it. "I hope that the baby is Deidara's." He looked up at her again, but then again, he wasn't looking at her. He was looking at Kisame, who had a nervous look on his face. But, eventually, his eyes stared back into Hinata's. He took her hands in his and leaned close to her, whispering in her ear.

"Push me."

Hinata furiously shook her head. "I won't." He gripped her hands tighter. "Push me off this cliff, like you wanted to so many times before." Hinata started to cry. "I can't." She felt someone grip her arm - Deidara had made his way to her side. "Push me, or I'll have Kisame do it for me." She turned to look at Kisame, who, too, was making his way towards them. She shook her head, turning back to Itachi. "We can still be friends, Itachi! You don't have to be my husband to be by my side! Please, Itachi!" She sobbed, gripping him tightly. He shook his head this time, smiling a little at Kisame.

"Do it, Kisame."

Kisame gripped Hinata by the shoulders, tightly so that she wouldn't fall with him. Then, gently, he pushed Itachi from the center of his chest. "No!" Hinata reached out for him, but he didn't reach back. Instead, he smiled a little at the three, Kisame, Hinata, and Deidara.

Hinata fell to her knees, looking over the edge as Itachi fell. The tears that followed Itachi to his death fell at the pace of the sunset.

"Itachi...sensei."

She hugged herself tightly, then fell back into Deidara's arms, where she let herself give in to the growing darkness.

-:-

_Itachi... sensei..._

Beep.

_What happened?_

Beep.

_My heart hurts._

Beep.

_Beep?_

"Hey, I think she's waking up."

_Sasori?_

"Oh, thank god. Hinata, can you hear me?"

_Deidara?_

Hinata felt a warm hand press to her cheek. She dared to open her eyes, and she saw that she was in a hospital room. To her side was a machine that charted her heart beat, which explained the beeping noise. Around her bed, Deidara, Sasori, and Kisame stood, worried. She tried to sit up, but a certain lump on her stomach was preventing her - and senting jolts of pain throughout her body. "Don't push yourself. The doctor said to rest." Deidara said softly, gently pressing her back down onto the bed. Closing her eyes, she tried to remember what happened the past couple of hours.

The park, the date, the cliff, _Itachi,_ his words, the push, and most of all, the sunset. The bright colors of orange and pink blended together with the black that surrounded her afterward.

A tear fell down Hinata's cheek. Deidara wiped it away, a frown on his face. "It's okay now, Hinata." he told her, leaning over to kiss her head. "Itachi... fell. Off the cliff." She whispered, reaching for Deidara's hand. "They're looking for him right now." Kisame reported, stepping forward from his place in the corner. "You can turn me in to the police if you want, Hinata. It's okay if you hate me for..." he trailed off, awkwardly rubbing his arm and stepping back. Hinata pulled herself up into a sitting position with Deidara's arm. She shook her head. "N-No... Kisame-san, It's... It's..." She felt Deidara wrap his arms around her, and she cried.

Deidara looked at Sasori, who nodded back. "Kisame, let's give them a minute." Kisame walked out of the room, Sasori right behind him. Then, when everything was quiet, he asked, "Why are you crying, Hinata?" She shook her head into his shoulder, and he kept stroking her back. "Is it because of your tummy?" He gently placed a hand on her stomach, but she shook her head. "Is it hurting somewhere?" She nodded and hugged him tighter. "Where?" Hinata forced herself to be calm, taking deep breaths, and pointed to her heart. "Why?" he pulled her back into a hug, and she was able to speak again. "I-Itachi... He..." she gulped down a lump in her throat. "Are you crying because he's dead? Or because... he's gone?" Deidara pushed her away from him to look into her eyes.

"I-I'm crying... because... the place in my heart... for my Husband... is empty."

Biting his lip, Deidara reached into his pocket. "I made this a while ago..." He pulled out a small velvet box, and Hinata nervously wiped her tears away. "But things happened, and I couldn't get the chance to ask..." he opened the box, revealing something a little different. Inside the box was a finely carved and finely decorated ceramic ring. It was colored every color of the rainbow, and in the center was a clay heart. "If you'll let me..." he took her hand in his. "Will you let me fill that empty place in your heart?" Hinata placed her hand over her heart in surprise. "Oh, Deidara..."

Her hand moved down to her stomach. Deidara looked at her expectantly, but she looked back, an unreadable expression on her face. However, he got the hint, and as realization slowly hit, he said,

"Holy Shit."

There was a small stain in the sheets, and Hinata started breathing heavily.

"It's early." She said in a surprisingly collected voice. Deidara looked around in a panic, shoving the ring back into his pocket. He ran out into the hallway, calling for a nurse.

Sasori walked up to him. "What happened?" He asked, peeking back into Hinata's room. "She's gonna... She's gonna have the baby!" Deidara cried, running a hand through his hair. "What? Now?" Sasori was about to rush into the room, but Deidara stopped him. "Get a freaking doctor! She's having a baby!" There were people rushing into the room already, and Deidara lingered behind them as they set Hinata up.

And then, louder than ever, she started screaming. And, suddenly, he felt his hand being crushed to dust.

-:-

Her water broke :O

Almost the last chapter!


	18. Final: Chapter 18

Well, I've never been pregnant before, so forgive me if this sounds a bit... meh.

-:-

"Three months early... Isn't that a bad thing?" Kisame asked as he and Sasori sat outside in the hallway. They were trying to drown out Hinata's screaming with a conversation. Kisame, however, only had gripping conversations with a rich psycho-maniac who was madly in love with his wife. He had never spoken to a normal person before. Sasori shrugged. "I've never had a baby before, let alone one three months early. Must be premature." Kisame nodded, letting Hinata's constant screaming take over the silence.

"Gosh. I hope the baby's alright." Kisame scratched the back of his head. "Yeah. Hinata, too." Sasori added.

Then, after another few minutes of 'silence', Kisame started speaking again.

"Do you think Hinata hates me now?" he asked, looking upward to the ceiling. Sasori shook his head. "She wouldn't hate you. Unless she had a good reason." he said. The screaming subsided for the time being, which was pleasant to the ears. "I killed her husband, and now her whole life could be fricked up because of that." Sasori shook his head. "I got a bunch of money from that convention we went to. I can take care of it." Kisame sighed, still morbid. "But I put about twenty other people out of the job. You know, maids and butlers and stuff." He ran a hand through his hair. "They'll get over it." Sasori waved dismissively.

"But..." Kisame started again.

"Hey, I hear something." Sasori paused to listen.

A baby's cry.

-:-

"Oh my god, Hinata."

"Yes, Deidara. He's beautiful."

"No, no, Hinata. Oh my _god._"

Hinata giggled, leaning on Deidara's shoulder as he sat down beside her.

"He's so tiny." He whispered, hesitantly touching the baby's head. It opened its eyes, wider than ever, and gave him the biggest grin a baby could give. Deidara felt like he could cry. "He has your grin, Deidara." Hinata smiled and looked at Deidara, who gave her a small kiss. "He has your eyes, too." She added, letting her fingers lightly trace his cheek.

A nurse walked into their room. "Have you decided on a name, Mrs. Hyuga?" she asked. Hinata looked at Deidara, who shrugged. "Whatever you want to call him, Hinata." She looked at the baby one more time, then said,

"Yuki."

--

A few minutes after they took the baby back to the nursery, Hinata and Deidara were alone again. While Hinata thumbed through a magazine, Deidara paced around the room, nervously fingering the ring in his pocket. Then, after a few good minutes of that, he said, "You know, the nurse called you 'Mrs'." Hinata closed her magazine and looked up at him, blushing a little. "Y-Yes. She did." she answered softly. Walking over to her side, Deidara took out the same velvet box and held it out for her to see. Hinata smiled, touching the heart of the ring fondly. "It's beautiful, Deidara." she whispered, looking at the ring and then him. "Yes, you are." Deidara was looking straight at her, and she felt her heart beat faster. "We got interrupted before, but now I think I can ask." he knelt down on one knee, his hand over hers. "Oh, Deidara, you already know my answer." Hinata felt tears of happiness in the corners of her eyes. "I want you to be sure." He cleared his throat and proceeded to stare into her eyes.

"Hinata Hyuga, will you be my wife?"

She nodded, showing him a large smile, and whispered, "Yes, of course."

Deidara grinned and stood up, slipping the ring on her ring finger. He leaned down to kiss her, and they wrapped their arms around each other. She scooted over so that he could lay beside her, and he did. She rested her head on his chest, and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"I love you, Hinata. I love you so much." he whispered into her hair. She smiled, feeling sleepiness tug at her eyes. "I love you, too... Deidara." Deidara felt her slump against him, and he let her sleep soundly in his arms.

-:-

They found Itachi's body a couple days after Hinata gave birth. Apparently - and surprisingly - he survived the fall and was able to walk a mile away and into the forest land. This feat scared Hinata to death because they told her that both his legs were broken and he was bleeding all over. He took a knife that he had and carved their names into a tree. "Hinata + Itachi =" There was a heart around it, but the space after the equals sign was blank.

Itachi was insane. But before he was insane, he was in love. He loved Hinata, his student, his wife, unconditionally. Hinata could say that she loved him too, but then that would be a kind of pity for him. Truthfully, she never loved Itachi as anyone but her high school math teacher. She could hardly remember the first few years after their marriage, but of what she has heard, Itachi wasn't at all the man he turned out to be. He became insane, she guessed, when he sensed that they were going to be separated both physically and emotionally.

At the funeral, Hinata cried. Not because he was a lost love, but because of what he had to go through because of her. She was _his _lost love. He felt heartbreak seventy times, caught his wife cheating on him, hit his wife, and desperately clung to her until the very end. If she had gone through that, she was sure that she would have done the same thing he did.

Then she wondered what her life would have been like if Deidara hadn't left so many years ago. She remembered that she found so many negative things about him leaving. But now, in a new light, it wasn't such a sin after all. If he hadn't left, for example, seeing him again wouldn't feel as overwhelmingly passionate as it was now. She wouldn't have had the things she had now, like a baby in her arms and enough money to support it. And, she wouldn't have met Kisame, one of her new best friends. She wouldn't have a part in this happy ending.

Now she was getting married to Deidara, happier than she was and happier than she ever will be. Just as she imagined, the love of her life was standing before her, dressed in the best tux they could afford, and smiling back at her, saying "I do." She did the same, and soon they were kissing, and soon again walking down the aisle.

-:-

Er... LAST CHAPTER.

If it's bad, it's because my idea machine ran out of juice at the last minute ._. I was trying to go for the whole 'reflection' thing, but I don't think it worked...

(Now there are bugs with WINGS in my room! Scary as fuck because by brother tried killing one and it flew away to who-knows-where!)

EPILOGUE NEXT.


	19. Epilogue

Epilogue...

-:-

It took about a year to make the arrangements for moving in with Deidara and Sasori. Hinata had to sign many, many, papers and had to move lots of her things from the mansion to their - surprisingly - small house. She gave Itachi's business to Kisame, who hung around him enough to know how to handle such a job. Kisame was left with the mansion, Itachi's office building, and all the shares he got from that last business convention. He was allowed to visit Hinata anytime he wanted, and vice versa.

Sasori, shortly after Hinata moved in, decided to move everyone into a larger house. Not exactly a mansion, but it had enough room to give everyone their separate room. Deidara, Hinata, and Yuki were in the master bedroom, Sasori in the second biggest bedroom, Deidara's art studio, Sasori's office, Yuki's play room, Hinata's Room-To-Do-With-What-She-Pleases Room, and a couple of guest bedrooms. Again, it wasn't exactly a mansion - but pretty darn close.

Everyone was happy.

-:-

**FAMOUS LOCAL ARTIST GOES MISSING!**

_**Local Artist, Deidara, is unable to be found! Where did he go?**_

Deidara read the newspaper headline over and over again, holding back a kind of laughter and a kind of disbelief. Gone missing? He was only gone for... 6 months.

Okay, that was kinda a long time to be away from home without telling the general public. But missing? Come on.

"Good morning!" Deidara turned to see Hinata walking down the grand staircase, her silk robe following gracefully behind her. He closed the front door and met her at the bottom step, wrapping his arms around her. "Morning, Hinata." He kissed her cheek. "You won't believe what the paper says." He handed her the paper, and after she read the headline, she laughed. "Missing, huh? They'll be surprised when they find you, Deidara." She walked past him and into the kitchen, where she sat down and read the rest of the article. Deidara sat next to her and watched.

"Well, you went on a vacation and got a girl pregnant, married her, have a son, and moved into a large house with your best friend." She folded her arms and looked at him, smiling. "What a scandal." Deidara chuckled and leaned in to kiss her.

"Please, you two, a child is present." Sasori walked into the room, a little toddler named Yuki in his arms. "I caught this thing trying to walk down the stairs. Watch your kids!" He sat Yuki on the table, who reached out for his mother affectionately. She smiled and hugged him, bringing him into her arms. "Aww, Yuki wanted to join us!" She cuddled with him, and Deidara hugged them both. Sasori rolled his eyes.

Yuki reached into his shorts pocket and pulled out a small piece of clay. It was shaped like a bird, and he held it up for his parents to see. Hinata and Deidara looked at each other, smiling. "That's my boy." Deidara ruffled Yuki's hair, and he giggled. Hinata studied the little bird, impressed by the detail he was able to put into it. "Gosh, Sasori, did you help him?" she asked. Sasori shook his head. "He made it himself. I saw it with my own eyes."

There was a knock on the door, and Hinata went up to answer it. When she saw who it was, she jumped with excitement and gave the guest a big hug. "Oh my God! Kisame!" Kisame laughed and hugged her back, quickly, since he saw Deidara walking towards them. "Hi, Hinata, Deidara," he patted Yuki, who was in Deidara's arms, on the head. "Yuki." Yuki grinned. Hinata stepped aside to let him inside. "What are you doing here?" she asked. Kisame cleared his throat. "There was this weird car following my limousine to your house this morning. When I parked outside, the driver approached me and said that he was a reporter for the newspaper and asked about you guys." He looked out the window, and outside the gate were a few more people waiting for an interview.

"They said something about 'Missing Artist Deidara'. I think that's you." Kisame looked at Deidara, who only chuckled lightly. "I guess I'd better get better clothes." He gave Yuki to Hinata, who gave him to Kisame, who held him awkwardly as he sat down on the couch. "We should make ourselves more presentable then, I suppose."

Deidara took Hinata's hand and the two climbed upstairs and into their room. They undressed and took a shower together - which, by the way, saves a lot of water - and got dressed. Being the kind couple they were, they decided to allow an interview for all the reporters there. After a while, the whole process began to get a bit boring. Kisame and Yuki even fell asleep on the couch while they were watching. So, at around 3 or 4 Hinata and Deidara were about to stop the interviews for good. The news would have spread already, right?

But before they could close the door, a hand appeared in the doorway. "Wait!" a peculiarly familiar voice called. Hinata knew the voice immediately - almost like she heard it yesterday. But the name of the fellow escaped her. "Yes?" Hinata looked the boy - well, not a boy anymore - straight in the face. "I should have realized that you were _The _Ms. Hyuga at the bookstore." The boy-slash-man tipped his hat to her and bowed slightly, smiling politely. Hinata smiled and gave him a small hug. "My goodness. You've grown into a fine young man." She smiled at him, and Deidara whispered to her, "Who is this?"

"Oh, This is Kevin. We met at my old job at the bookstore a while ago." Kevin smiled at Deidara, who eyed him suspiciously at first, but eventually gave him a small smile. "How old do I look now?" Kevin and Hinata laughed. They led him to the living room, where Hinata and Deidara gave their last interview. They got into more detail with him, going as far back in their story as when they were in high school. Then, after saying their goodbyes, Kevin walked away, a different story in mind for his newspaper.

The next day, Deidara picked up the morning newspaper.

**Punctual**

_**The story of Deidara the Language Arts teacher and Hinata, his student.**_

-:-

:D

...

D:

It feels a bit off.

And short.

But oh well.

That's what the story was about from the beginning, right?

Thanks for reading and reviewing!

-TheWindAlchemist


	20. Letter to You!

Dear Fans of 'Punctual',

This is not a formal letter. Haha.

So, I was exploring the dynamics of my log-in page, and I looked over the stats of my stories. I won't bore you with the details, but I noticed that, of my DeiHina romances, Punctual is my most popular one. What I gather is that over 3,000 people have read it. And in 45 different countries! Holy crap!

I don't know if you want to hear the specifics, so I won't write them down. (If you want to know, I'll message you the countries and other stuff you want to know)

So, Punctual just recently finished, and I want to ask you guys - what made Punctual so popular? What made Punctual so appealing, so that I can try to incorporate this appeal into more of my stories?

I don't want to sound like I'm rubbing it in your face, so I'll stop now ._.

Thanks again for reading,

TheWindAlchemist

PS: My new story, "Rich Girl" is up! Go check it out, if you want! ;p


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